Krait book 06: Head Boy of Hogwarts
by slytherinsal
Summary: In which Odessa continue to be active and if there were only a world cup and Triwizard championship to contend with, life would be relatively quiet. I own nothing of Hogwarts, thanks for the loan JKR
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

David Fraser was very much looking forward to the Quidditch world cup match; his friend Viktor Krumm had given him a ticket, as well as giving one each to Ron and Hermione. Ron and Hermione were newlyweds now; and if Hermione did not think that a Quidditch match was an ideal honeymoon she was wise enough not to say so!

They would all be travelling to Hungary, the host nation, on David's enchanted Catalina flying boat; as he said, muggles don't actually get upset about aeroplanes flying so it makes sense just to, well, tinker it a bit with magic. Severus and Krait and their family and wards were also going; Krait was finally feeling better – the blood group having convened to help her alter the chemical imbalances that were making this pregnancy hard – and she had purchased tickets for their extensive flock. Krait HAD however ticked off the goblin ticket tout who tried to charge her for her unborn child, pointing out with all the waspishness that she could summon that as the baby was scarcely going to be a spectator, since it would be a miraculous child who could see out of the womb, she considered that such spurious and fraudulent attempts to overcharge were quite unnecessary unless the tout would like to take it up with Kordach.

The tout backed down immediately at the casually mentioned name of the goblin underworld boss. The zig-zag scar blazing in irritation might have helped too; it was unwise to mess with those people who had been involved in the killing of Voldemort

The fame of David's Catalina had spread to the British Minister for Magical Games, a big Irish wizard called Murphy who had once played Beater for the Cork Corsairs. Arthur Weasley had helped David enchant the machine and he had spoken of David's theory about flying things that muggles expected to see; and consequently, Mr Murphy had come to see David to ask if he and the other officials might ride on his aeroplane and make it an official transport.

David was only too delighted to agree; Dumbledore had finally got the ministry to agree to a policy of concealment by obviousness over Hogwarts School, and it was now listed as a new very exclusive private school. Spreading this theory to other ministries seemed sensible.

The journey was mostly smooth – even though Arthur Weasley did want to take a turn at the controls, prompting the Minister to wistfully request a go too. David kept a close watch over their attempts from the dual controls; and took the machine back when a Hungarian Horntail Dragon recognised a magical flying thing and decided to see it out of its territory.

It was a shock to see several tons of flaming dragon appearing suddenly off the port bow, and David made the catalina do things it would not have been stressed for without the magical assist.

Lucius and Draco Malfoy, the Snapes and Harry took over discouraging the beast as David jinked and swerved; and Krait had the happy idea of confunding it to think it heard a mating call in the other direction.

"Thanks, Krait" said David.

"Well I didn't want to hurt the poor little thing" said Krait.

"She's been talking too much to Hagrid" said Severus dryly "Only Hagrid and his friends would ever refer to the most dangerous dragon in the world as a poor little thing."

"I would personally have said the Ukrainian Ironbelly was the most dangerous type of dragon myself" said Krait mildly "But you know I hate unnecessary killing or cruelty to dumb animals. I reserve my cruelty for Gryffindors and Deatheaters."

There was general laughter; though David had to explain to Mr Murphy that this was an old joke going back to when Krait was at school with Harry and co and made the traditional rivalry between Slytherin House and Gryffindor House into a joke more than a reality.

Over the mountains there was a lot of turbulence, and David explained to Arthur that he had not used magical dampers since he thought that as Arthur was fascinated by muggle flying he would like to experience for himself the various aerodynamic effects. Arthur was fascinated; but Mr Murphy requested that, since the demonstration was very er, graphic, might they employ the smooth flight charm effect please and in a hurry.

Looking at the minister's green face, David rapidly activated the spell. Mr Murphy started looking better almost immediately.

"He's never ridden winged horses or hippogriffs, has he?" murmured Lucius in David's ear. David grinned.

They landed smoothly on the reservoir lake near the chosen site of the match; and the minister and Lucius were both welcomed officially by the Host's Minister of Sport, who hurried them off to meet the ministers of the competing nations, Portugal and Bulgaria.

David, the pilot was only a minor employee in the eyes of such grandees; though there was some alteration in perception as he, Hermione and Ron were welcomed rapturously by Bulgaria's seeker, Viktor Krumm.

"My friends! I am so glad to see you!" he said, kissing Hermione on each cheek, and before Ron could expostulate, serving him the same "And my congratulations! I am so sorry I could not be at the wedding – but you will understand, when I tell you why…." He glanced over his shoulder and whispered "ODESSA!"

"Why not come aboard and look over the plane?" said David, slipping an arm in Viktor's. "Jem, Erwin, how's about you let the kids help you get the tent out?" he added, speaking to some of the older of the Snapes' wards.

In the plane Viktor was more relaxed.

"I have cultivated a friendship with Helmut Hesse at Durmstrang" he said "And he is fool enough to let much slip. And what he has said is that all the muggleborn or those with what they call 'unacceptable' levels of muggle blood in them are to die at the World Cup. And I can't see how they can do it" he added worried.

"I'd say it has to be something ingested" said Severus "Or maybe airborne. We have to remember that Odessa is and has always been associated with the muggle organisation of the same name and therefore may have a more advanced concept of genetics than our own rather bumbling Department of Mysteries ministers. Ethnic cleansing and therefore ethnic testing was always a priority for the Nazis."

"A Scarpin's revelaspell should show up any pathogens if we concentrate on it" said Krait "So everyone, wander around and quietly check every food stall and beer tent and so on. Let's get going; they're probably ahead of us and we need to be quick about this so we can get an antidote out."

It was fortunate that in such crowds the performance of underage magic was impossible to detect; and the young Snapes and David wandered around, looking exactly the same as any other child, sniffing delightful smells of cooking and peering curiously at stalls selling alcoholic beverages, and stopping to queue at stalls selling more innocuous drinks. Ices too were not neglected and the Blood group that was there reported back to the rest with an entirely negative results.

"I wish the rest of the Marauders were here" said Romulus "or even Willow. I work better with my co-conspirators."

"They either haven't introduced it yet, or it's too subtle to pick up or Viktor got it wrong" said Erich.

"Could it be…. Is it a silly idea to think about water?" said Grace, staring at a standpipe.

Several wands flashed out.

"Grace, you're brilliant!" Draco kissed his fiancée passionately. Grace blushed and snuggled at him.

"So now we need to analyse it" said Severus "David, lad, untangle my offspring and etceteras from the mess they are making of the tent and set up an analysis cauldron; we need to know the nature of this."

Had not Severus been talking to the muggle parent of one of the anticipated new girls he might not have been able to perform a full analysis.

Doctor Field was a biochemist and Severus had become sufficiently interested to read up several books on the subject.

"It's a three part weapon" Severus explained "The pathogen is coated magically with a substance that dissolves in the presence of adrenaline; excitement in other words. A normal emotion during a World class match, whether in joyous excitement or through urging one's team on. Once released, it bonds to such secondary blood types as are typical of muggles and rare in those of purer wizarding blood. It is what muggles call a staphylococcus I believe; it attacks and destroys the internal organs."

The looks on the faces of his bloodkin reflected the disgust and horror they were feeling.

"What can we do?" demanded Hermione "Obviously we shall have to drink only summoned water so we do not fall ill; because I can tell you, finding that out is an adrenaline stimulant."

"Eastern European hospitals use bacteriophages" said David "Tailored viruses to kill the bacterium. I think it'd be quicker than trying to find a magical antidote."

"We can do better than that" said Krait "We can get the phage into the water supply and I can also go unicorn and we can take blood to use in case anyone IS struck down with it. Unicorn blood cures anything. Only I can't produce enough to deal with every muggleborn and halfbreed here. Severus, you do a very good job of looking like a muggle professor, will you take a culture of this crap and find a hospital that can reproduce a phage?"

"On it" said Severus "I'll take Viktor – as he knows the area better than I – and David to tell me what it is I really want."

Krait nodded.

"Hermione, I want you to tap my blood as unicorn; you've got steadier hands than the boys and you know what you're doing."

Hermione gulped; but nodded.

Viktor took Severus to a muggle hospital in his native Bulgaria; where the 'nasty little problem' that Severus presented to them caused much concern lest it spread from his country to theirs. They were only too willing to help!

Severus and party returned with some cultures which he then multiplied extensively using magic before releasing them into the reservoir water source.

"After all, the water also feeds muggle towns" he said.

"You'd better let Lucius do government official and take some more of the phage to the nearest big town to prepare the medics there then" said Harry "Lucius is quite as good at bullying minor apparachik as any Nachalstvo. He'll make sure they're on the look out for it, and even let them think they found a reason for emotional stimulus increasing the effect."

Lucius, once apprised of the problem, was more than happy to help. His attitudes to muggles had undergone a significant modification since his love for muggle Charlotte had blossomed; and he had a son by her, Drogo, almost two, and she had just informed him that she thought she was pregnant again. He looked at Drogo, playing solemnly with his little half sister Lucasta – Narcissa's year old child – and blanched as he thought of losing people he loved so well. He willingly went to bully Hungarian authorities into accepting a report written – with Arthur's best forgery skills – by a 'reservoir water testing official'. He explained that an agent to kill the bacterium had been introduced to the water but that it could not be ruled out that some cases may have already occurred due to the delay between discovery and action.

As there had been some baffling outbreaks of a staphylococcus bacterium causing internal damage his words fell on relieved ears that something was being done about the problem; and the phage culture was gladly accepted.

"Naturally we have treated with antibiotics" said the chief medical officer "But to have a specific cure is excellent news."

Lucius returned to report that there might be some local muggle deaths caused by the bacterium but the muggle healers seemed to have some form of treatment and were likely to do better now but please not to try to explain how it worked.

"It's quite simple Uncle Lucius" said Krait "If you have a serious gnome problem you can introduce a jarvey to eat them. This is the same sort of thing only on a scale too small to be seen with the naked eye."

"What, like Fraser's atoms?" said Lucius.

"Larger than that" said Krait "But too small to see. And they breed awfully fast even without Severus encouraging them with magic. Now you need to alert our healers and tell them someone tried to sabotage the match and that we have a specific antitoxin if anyone falls ill. Let them think it's a deatheater who got away but who hasn't got away any longer – you know."

Lucius nodded.

"I am the master of the implied word" he said smugly.

"Just as well, my slippery uncle" said Krait affectionately.

The medicine of unicorn blood was needed before the game started, the muggleborn guest of a local family being the first rushed to the healers' tent, followed in short order by several others; and Severus took the bottle along. The healer eyed it with horror.

"Professor Snape, is that what I think it is? Has England different laws to the rest of us?"

"The unicorn who freely donated the blood is tame and I was partly involved in her rearing" said Severus with perfect truth. "It is no dark magic nor stolen from one of those magnificent creatures. I assure you that you can use it without a qualm. I calculated that three drops should be sufficient in all but the worst cases."

"As you assure me of that I must take your word for it" said the healer "But I should like to know if you are able to corroborate or substantiate your words?"

"You can ask Professor Dumbledore if you wish" said Severus "Or the aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom whose cure was effected by this self same source; since they wished to personally thank the unicorn involved. I do not advertise it; she is as shy about strangers as any unicorn and I do not wish to have her upset."

"Oh er, quite" said the Healer "Your willingness to give me witnesses helps to dispel my misgivings."

"I'm so glad" said Severus with heavy irony lost on the healer. He waited until he got outside to add "wanker."

The snitch was released; and the game was under way!

Portugal took an early lead with Bulgaria absolutely nowhere, and soon the score stood at sixty to twenty in Portugal's favour. This seemed to wake the Bulgarian team up – unless it was the epithets being screamed at them by their supporters – and they clawed back some points to bring the score to an even eighty all. By close of the day's play Bulgaria had drawn ahead to one hundred and thirty points to one hundred and twenty.

Next day's play was better on both sides, Bulgaria looking like the holders of a world cup; but Portugal were playing like wild things, dragging back points to be at one hundred and eighty to Bulgaria's one hundred and seventy. David was on the edge of his seat and he knew he was one of thousands! If the adrenaline-operated disease had not been nullified, people would have been dropping like flies.

A few were still taken ill; but thanks to the unicorn blood there were no deaths, as the group heard later. They were too gripped by the play to notice much during the match!

Portugal seemed to be really on top, getting another two goals and the score stood at Portugal, two hundred, Bulgaria still on one hundred and seventy.

And then Krumm was on the move, suddenly, fast and purposefully, screaming something at his team's defence that David guessed was along the lines of 'hold them, keep the score down!"

"HE HAS THE SNITCH!" the roar went up; and Viktor Krumm, after a neat little jink to one side held up his hand with the feebly fluttering snitch in it.

There was a long drawn out sigh of either satisfaction of disappointment depending on who those sighing were supporting. Bulgaria won by three hundred and twenty to two hundred.

"And Krumm does it again!" the commentator was beside himself with excitement "Viktor Krumm, the greatest Seeker in the world! Mr Krumm, a word?"

"Thank you… thank you very much. But I am not the greatest seeker in the world" said Viktor Krumm "The greatest seeker in the world is lost to the world of sport because he has had to spend his childhood on something more important than quidditch."

"IS there anything more important than Quidditch?" quipped the commentator.

"But yes. Killing Voldemort" said Krumm "I want to dedicate this victory to my friend Harry Potter and his friends that are also my friends, Ron and Herm-o-ninny and David and the others. Our beloved game takes place in a free world because of them."

This was fairly sensational; but Viktor said 'excuse me' and hurried away.

"Well, that's something to hear, folks, and I bet we'd all have liked to have seen Harry Potter play international quidditch; but now he has time out from killing dark wizards maybe we shall yet see a new sensation on the England team."

"That'll be a no" said Harry to the others, listening to the commentary "Too busy being an auror to play quidditch. Besides, I fancy that soon Ginny's going to be keeping me rather busy!"

A house elf appeared.

"Please, the Hogwarts people, invited are to the victory party!" he piped. He was wrapped – rather proudly – in the flag of the Bulgarian team for his makeshift garment. "You will make haste, please!"

Ron grinned at Hermione.

"Well you can't accuse him of being downtrodden" he said.

Viktor Krumm had affectionate greetings for everyone.

"Because of you a disaster is averted!" he said "And the game could proceed without a hitch! And we have here too, I believe the great Lord Convolvumort?"

"Merlin's whitest whiskers, do you listen to that over here?" said Draco.

"But yes! It is of the funniest!" said Viktor "I laugh so much I almost wet myself!"

"Well if you like that sort of thing…." Draco lowered his voice "Your team; where do their loyalties lie?"

"Politically? Bah, most of them are only interested in game politics" said Viktor "But I would say they would all oppose Odessa if they could do so without too much risk to themselves."

Draco nodded.

"I have a new character" he said "ACH SO! I der great General Disorder am, der Fuhrer who is alvays Fuhrerious, although mine language sounds like zat anyvay! Zere is NO truth in der rotten rumour zat I am angry from der eating of der frankfurter sausage zat ve are all constipated. In fact ve are good at handing out der scheisser to everyone else, sig heil! As for der Harry Potter vat zink himself so great mid der scar, I haf myself had TWO scars burned in mine forehead each one ein sig rune, so there!" he grinned and added "And I'm writing a part for David here who did sterling service as Tuurd the troll; this time he will be my adjutant, Private Paartz."

David chuckled. He was looking forward to that.

The rest of the Bulgarian team and their support team were laughing uproariously.

"Hey, Harry Potter, how about a scratch game against you and your friends tomorrow before we go home?" suggested the keeper when they had finished laughing.

Harry looked around.

"Anyone game?" he said.

"I'll say mate" said Ron "They'll hammer us, but what a story to tell our kids when we have them!"

"That's my keeper sorted then" said Harry. "Draco and Ginny of course for chasers; Krait, are you too sick and bulky?"

"Oh I'll fly" said Krait "Just for shits and giggles; but only for a short while, just to say I have. Then you can swap the reserve in. Sev and David as beaters?"

"I was thinking of Sev as reserve chaser to relieve you" said Harry "But then I've no second beater."

"I can play beater" said Severus "And I suggest Rom as your reserve chaser. Only don't tell him he's going to be house quidditch captain next term."

"I am? WOW!" said Romulus, moved.

"He has grown up" said Harry "I was thinking of him as a kid still….right, if it's all right for you to let Krait swop out? She's had a rotten time with this baby."

"You are pregnant, Madam Snape? I do not wish to risk your health" Viktor was concerned.

"Oh I want to play a little, just to say I have…. I'll be careful Viktor" said Krait "And do call me Krait; you're not one of my first years after all!"

They got up early for the game, hoping to play it without too much notice being taken.

It was a forlorn hope; once one person up for an early morning piddle saw what was going on, they spread the word and rapidly the stadium filled again. Not that the protagonists were aware of this for a while!

Bulgaria took an early lead, going up by seventy to thirty; and Krait was hit a glancing blow on the side of the head by a bludger, and instead of going off as ordered by Harry, charged the beater who had sent it, driving straight past him with the quaffle for a decisive goal; and heartened, Draco and Ginny played up too and Hogwarts took a ten point advantage after several scores. Krait swopped out then, and Romulus was grimly determined not to let his beloved foster parents and bloodkin down. The score held fairly even for a while, one side scoring then the other; then Draco performed some spectacular bromnastics – as Krait described it – and scored several times in a row, fed by Ginny and Romulus.

The advantage did not hold; the skill and experience of the Bulgarian team began to show, and like a well oiled machine they passed and scored with precision, until the score stood at Bulgaria three hundred and eighty, a full hundred points above Hogwarts.

But then Viktor and Harry were diving, neck and neck, each trying to put the other off, dodging, feinting, now one with the advantage, now the other. And then Harry remembered what David had said about war flying; height was an advantage. He pulled upwards. Viktor, looking wildly for the snitch above its last known position, started to copy him; and Harry who had not lost sight of it, dived!

He had the snitch in his hand; and in some ways this was the sweetest victory ever because it was against an old rival who had become a friend; because it was a game played purely for the fun of it.

Only the collective gasp of the crowd and sudden roar of appreciation alerted the scratch players to the fact that they had an audience; and those who had stayed on to travel more sedately than those who had left right after the end of the match maintained for the rest of their lives that they had more than had their money's worth to see two of the greatest games of the century!

"Well done Hogwarts" said the Bulgarian captain with some chagrin.

"Well, your players were already tired" said Harry "And we surely appreciate you giving us a game after a gruelling match and a long season! If I hadn't got lucky with the snitch you would have given us a thorough trouncing tired or no!"

"He is modest" said Viktor ruefully "And it was not luck. He - how you English say it – suckered me. I told them he was the greatest seeker in the world!" and he draped an arm around Harry's shoulders.

The Bulgarian team and the Hogwarts scratch team were both carried off shoulder high by spectators who now invaded the pitch after having watched this extra match with remarkably good behaviour and decorum, perhaps somehow sensing that it was a friendly match and acting accordingly.

"Come and lay your hands on the cup and be photographed with it" suggested Viktor "After all, you have beaten the victors; that makes it a little bit yours too!"

David was overjoyed.

He knew that under normal circumstances he would never be quite good enough to play in international games, maybe not even local games; which was why he wanted to referee international games. But he had played an international team, and not just any team, but the best in the world! It was a moment of magic to savour for ever; and would have been so win or lose! And when one of the chasers complimented him on his steadfast defence as a beater, his cup ran over.

Naturally the various wizarding news services got hold of the story; and the 'Daily Prophet' – which David referred to as 'The Rag and Profit' – raised questions as to why the England team went out of the world cup in the second round and yet the World Champions were beaten by a scratch team made up of Hogwarts staff and pupils, one of them not yet sixteen.

David wrote in – as one of the Hogwarts players – pointing out that the Bulgarian team HAD just played a two day match against the second best team in the world and were also doubtless slightly hung over from the victory party. Professor Dumbledore wrote to say it was nice to see his pupils and staff keeping the end up, but that the 'Prophet' should be aware that though these particular players took their hobby seriously, most of them had more important day jobs than playing quidditch; since two of them were aurors, one had his OWLs to think of this year and another his NEWTs in a years time and two others were dedicated to the training of young minds. 'Of the other two' he wrote 'the Weasley family could field an excellent team for themselves but these siblings also have their own lives to lead."

Ron might have sighed and wished he could be a Quidditch star; but he knew, like David, his own limitations; and his own erratic play save where it was stimulated to greatness by the pounding of the Bloodgroup.

He was however moved to volunteer his services as a junior coach for the Chuddleigh Cannons, who accepted with alacrity.

There was one more thing that was to happen before the big flying boat took off.

Viktor led David aside.

"My friend, will you do me a favour?" he asked.

"Yes of course!" David said instantly, wondering what a successful man like Viktor Krumm might need as a favour, unless it was to stand by with the Catalina to rescue refugees from Odessa.

"It is a little difficult….embarrassing" said Viktor. "You see, recently my father has confided in me that for years he has had a muggle mistress; and that he has had to explain to her about magic because of the children" he paused "I have a sister and a brother, it seems. And my sister is now old enough for school. You can see of course, that she could not go to Durmstrang!"

"Quite" said David "And you think she should come to Hogwarts?"

"My father had made all the applications" said Viktor "And she is to come… and I teach her English quickly. But I will ask that you look out for her and see that she finds her feet? As a brother would do?"

"I most certainly shall!" said David "I'd be delighted to do so! What is her name?"

"Zvetelina" said Viktor "And Stoyan is a year younger. Thank you David; you are a real friend!"

"If she is not in my house I know people I can ask to keep an eye on her in house in two of the others" said David "Unless she is frighteningly intelligent and knows it, in which case she'll be a Ravenclaw; but then she'll probably not need much helping to settle anyway."

Viktor considered.

"She is not, such as I have seen of her, stupid; but I think she is a hard worker rather than brilliant" he said. "She is a nice little girl; her mother also is pleasant. I was much angered at first over how my mother could have been so treated; but my father's muggle mistress never knew he was married, so I cannot blame her. I will be glad too that they will learn English ways and hopefully get English jobs; then my mother need never know."

"That must be tough" said David "I'm sure you feel your loyalties are terribly divided."

Viktor nodded.

"Even so" he said "For I love my father though this has made me angry with him. And the children are innocents in the matter, and I would wish to get to know them as they grow up, for they are my siblings however much I dislike the circumstances of their births, if this can be brought about without anyone suffering I shall be glad. And too, if I am spying on Odessa at all, I should like to think my brother and sister were safe. When I first agreed to find things out I did not even know they existed! And yet I am glad I did or we might not have averted a tragedy."

David grinned.

"And because we kept it all quiet, the Odessa will not even know how it occurred" he said "And the healers won't be willing to advertise using unicorn blood on the few cases there were, even if the source was declared safe for fear of people castigating them….Odessa may with luck think it was a fault in the use of muggle methods of germ warfare and abandon a synthesis of wizarding and muggle ways. We can hope so; I'd hate to think the damage they could cause by combining muggle knowledge with wizarding abilities!"

"Absolutely, if that is an example of it!" agreed Viktor, fervently!

_A/N Yes the Russians did come up with the idea of bacteriophages which IMO is more effeicient than killing germs with things they can get resistant to. For the benefit of American readers Adrenaline = Epinephrine_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

David returned to the castle until such time as the double wedding was scheduled; the delay was a purely legal, or at least conventional, one, in waiting for Grace to be over the age of consent. They were getting married by muggle ceremony for this reason since she would not be of age in the wizarding world for another whole year and she and Draco had no more intention of waiting than Molly and Arthur Weasley or Krait and Severus, though they had at least been over age. Lucius had put forward a suggestion to bring that into line with the muggle world and then actually enforce it rather than leave it to custom with younger girls too often forced into prostitution. Surprisingly, Lucius had said that Kordach was keen to see it pass too; he despised perverts.

During the meanwhile, the double wedding would be a social event for the villagers near Malfoy Manor and Lucius was throwing a feast for them, since only those of the wizarding world would be a part of the celebrations in the Manor and its grounds. Harry and Ginny were happy to get married anywhere, and whilst Molly might have liked to have launched her only daughter from her own home, Arthur was not displeased that Lucius was defraying much of the expense! Charlotte had asked Molly to be as much a part of the planning as herself and Narcissa and Molly and Narcissa had discovered that partiality for their respective offspring allowed them to put aside a lot of animosity and a lot of conversation revolved around how terrible it was that youngsters should take such awful risks and how disobedient they could be and how now they were embarking on married life they would finally understand how hard it was for parents. It even led to Molly deploring the hole-in-a-corner way Ron and Hermione had got married when it had been suggested to them that they make a triple wedding of it.

Ron had been aghast; and Hermione had needed only a little persuasion to make a quiet ceremony from her parent's house and with the Weasleys invited at the last minute so there was no time for Molly to work on Ron. Molly, upset that she would have nothing to do with either of her younger children's weddings was delighted to be involved in the preparations of the double wedding that she was in her element.

Harry escaped as often as he could to the cottage in Godric's Hollow that he had been doing up as a marital home. There had been some outcry in the wizarding community about not leaving it as a memorial; but Harry pointed out, quite firmly, that his survival was the memorial that his parents had been most interested in; and if keeping their house, the Potter family house in which they intended to raise a family, in its ruined state left him, Harry Potter, killer of Voldemort homeless, which of the wizarding community was prepared to give up THEIR house for him if they expected him to give up his, merely as a keepsake?

Plenty of people were willing to offer him a home with them; but that, as Harry said, was not the point. It was his cottage and he would do as he pleased with it. The memorial to his mother's sacrifice lay in her blood; and her blood would be in his children who would grow up there and hopefully endure through many generations.

Ginny said,

"If lessons have been learned then the remains of the cottage will not be needed to reinforce them. If – as is more likely – the message of how someone like Tom Riddle could cause so much trouble has NOT been learned then no amount of ruined cottages will be able to reinforce it. WE remember; WE shall teach our children and our children's children. The living at Godric's Hollow are the testament to the valour of Lily and her son."

There was very little more said on the subject!

David was glad to be well out of it.

He was less glad when the American gas-guzzler roared up the castle drive and three near caricatures of American tourists leaped out. They consisted of a cigar-chewing man in a travesty of plus-fours, his wife in a showy string of pearls and a dress that made her look fatter, and their offspring who at around ten probably weighed four times as much as David.

"Hey boy! You the caretaker's son or sompen?" demanded the man.

David looked down his nose.

"Excuse me? Are you addressing me?" he said with as much of the manner of Draco as he could manage.

"Sure I'm addressing you, kid. Ain't you the caretaker's son?"

"I am a prefect at Hogwarts school; my people moved locally" said David, not entirely mendaciously. "Are you lost?"

"Not a bit of it!" the man waved a cigar "Mind you this is the damndest place to find! We've come to look over this little old pile and ask for a PROspectus for our son here. Junior fancies a nice English school with a spot of grouse shooting and fishing on the side!"

David looked at junior and thought that he could out-Dudley Dudley when the boy had been at his worst. His heart sank. Then he thought of something.

"You had an invitation from the head then?"

"An invitation? What the dooce are you talking about?"

"Gee, don't you just love his accent?" put in the wife "All Lord Peter Whimsey and upper class English!"

"I am afraid, sir, that unless your son has received an invitation he will not get a place. This is a very SELECT school you know; one has to be of the right family" David drawled.

"Aw, we can get over that" said the American "I can let your head have some kind o' grant, I can afford the best for my boy!"

"I'm afraid, sir, we don't DO things that way in England" said David "We consider bribery frankly rather vulgar; and I do not think that the Professor would like to even have such a thing suggested to him. I am so sorry you have had a wasted journey."

"The hell I have! Here, what'll it take you to take me to your head?" he heaved out a roll of notes and started peeling them off.

"I find your attitude insulting" said David coldly, letting his fury show "How DARE you try to bribe me? I have half a mind to call for the police and have you arrested! Now get off this land, you are trespassing!"

"I ain't going until I've see your head!" said the American.

"You'll see him in court with a law suit against you if you're not careful" said David. "Ah, Hagrid."

Hagrid had arrived.

"Wha's up, David lad?" he demanded.

"These….people…..appear to have very strange ideas about how we conduct matters in England" said David "They appear to think they can get anything they want by paying for it, like some third world country. They won't leave. I can't think that Professor Dumbledore should be bothered by them as their son has NOT received an invitation to partake in our school's education. Of course, people with any level of courtesy might have written first; but that of course is why we have so select a policy; to keep out the hoi-polloi."

"Here!" protested the American "D'you have any idea who I am?"

"Yer a big fat ugly bastard – begging your pardon David – wha's going to be on the road in minutes two or I'll be helping you on yer way" said Hagrid.

"How dare you? I'll see you gaoled for such threats!"

"What, I suppose you think you can bribe a magistrate too?" said David disdainfully "Think again. The law in England permits reasonable force to eject any trespasser; Hagrid's not going to lay a finger on you. He IS going to drag your car off our lands, however. If you choose not to go with it I shall then call the police. Now leave; or be ejected."

The American could not believe it.

"We can't go, Pop, I wanna go to school here in that cute little old castle!" whined his son.

"You hear? Our baby has set his heart on it!" said the woman "And we never deny him anything!"

"Madam; perhaps he would grow up a better human being if at times you managed so to do" said David. "Very well, Hagrid; get that pile of rubbish out of my sight, please!"

Hagrid grinned.

He was a fairly fearsome sight; a half giant is a frightening enough sight even when they do not have a massive crossbow in their hands. He laid this down carefully however, and strode towards the car; and began to drag it.

Not knowing anything about muggle technology he did not let the handbrake off first.

"STOP! You'll DESTROY it!" howled the American.

"Perhaps you should have thought of that before you were so insolent towards your betters" said David, enjoying himself no end in some ways. Dumbledore would back him; the point of concealment by obviousness was to seem normal, and he knew that boys from places like Eton could be utterly insufferable, because Justin Finch- Fletchley had told him so, having been glad to come to Hogwarts instead.

The Americans ran after Hagrid, and finally managed to persuade him to let them drive away instead.

"I wonder how much a new transmission for that thing is going to cost?" murmured David to himself. "Won't be able to get one over here I don't suppose. And see if I care anyway!"

oOoOO

When the Minister for Wizarding Education, Clorinda Vale, turned up a couple of days later, and Lucius Malfoy with her, Hagrid was in a blue funk.

"If them Americans complained, we was within Muggle law" he said defensively.

"What Americans?" demanded the Minister.

"They were rude and pushy and wanted to see over the school" said David "And of course I'm not allowed to confund them to suggest that they had been as I'm under seventeen" he added virtuously "But they were trying to wave money at somebody because their repellent brat had set his heart on coming here. I had the idea of telling them that attendance at so select a school is only by invitation" he added.

"Ah, brilliant, Mr Fraser" put in Lucius, smoothly. "An excellent way of smoothly getting rid of the more obnoxious muggles, don't you think, Minister?"

"Oh yes, absolutely Mr Malfoy!" said the Minister breathily.

Plainly she was completely in awe of Lucius and would agree to anything he said.

"I asked Hagrid to drag their car off the premises" said David "As they would not leave of their own free will; and threatened them with the police."

"Which would have been my muggle cousin Archie I believe" said Lucius dryly.

"Even if he were not, sir, nothing that Hagrid or I did is outside of what is 'reasonable behaviour' on which British law rests" said David "Hagrid could probably have hit it hard enough to flatten it in the middle and folded it up into a metal cube and still got away with it. May I ask, Ma'am" he addressed Madam Vale "To what we owe the pleasure of your visit if it is not about these contumelious muggles?" if she was impressed by Lucius a short burst of Severus-speak probably would do no harm

"Oh it's just this exciting new concept of concealing by obviousness; I wanted to see for myself how it was going!"

"Well, ma'am it's early days yet; these Americans were I feel just an unfortunate incident and not likely to be typical. Any reasonable person will write for a prospectus and an application form for their child, and can be told kindly that the waiting list is so long that they are better to seek education elsewhere. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore has it well in hand; he is used to dealing with muggles" said David.

"Oh absolutely" murmured the Minister.

"Young David Fraser is my choice to teach muggle and squib relatives about the wizarding world in Rowan House when it opens" said Lucius "Obviously he can't teach during its first year, since he will be doing his NEWTs; but I was hoping, my lad, you might devote your fertile brain to writing down a rough curriculum. You have such extensive experience of both worlds without being quite so er, unnecessarily highbrow as Miss Granger – Madam Weasley I should say."

"Why – th-thank you sir!" stammered David, taken aback "I should certainly hope not to let you down! Hermione is very good, but I suppose she can be a little high falutin' at times" he added "And she's so clever she expects everyone to live up to her standards. She'd be excellent teaching arithmancy with crossover mathematics if I may say so."

"Thank you; I shall bear that in mind" said Lucius. "Severin Prince and his wife my er, relative are to be the governors there, but I have been asked for my input as governor of the main school. I know they too think very highly of your ability."

"I believe you are a Gryffindor, Mr Fraser?" asked the Minister.

"Yes ma'am" said David.

"Well, I have every expectation that you will be a luminary of our house" she said.

David took that as tacit approval of Lucius' suggestion that he teach the more because she was an ex Gryffindor herself!

It was quite a shock to think that in a couple of years time he might be 'Professor Fraser'; but the chance to develop the curriculum of the most important class at the new school was so exciting!

"It will be a real challenge, sir, ma'am to put together a course of study" said David seriously "But I hope I shall rise to it. But it may be that there will need to be changes to the curriculum as we see in practical terms what works."

The minister waved a hand.

"Oh that is true of every new subject" she said "Professor Black is only now fully satisfied with the geomancy course, after the first trial OWL exam."

"It was for me an easy exam" said David cautiously "But I believe others found it more challenging. Did Professor Black think it too easy?"

"Oh, are you the only one with the 'O' grade then?" asked the Minister.

"I don't know ma'am; I haven't had my results yet" said David, his heart hammering.

"Well the examiner said there was one boy got back from his labyrinthine course before he'd even finished his tea, who produced as well so comprehensive a piece of written work that Professor Black should look to his laurels" she said.

David blushed fierily.

"Well he was still in the staffroom with a cup of tea when I got in" he said "And I really enjoyed the written paper."

"Well, I fear I have spoiled the surprise for you then Mr Fraser" said the Minister. "Congratulations!"

David was grinning idiotically.

"Well done lad" said Lucius. "With something like that you'll be in demand at the ministry as a tracker or plotter or guide; higher paid jobs than teaching."

"I'll act as guide for Draco or Harry any day" said David "But I think I'd prefer teaching to working in the ministry."

He had been about to add more about not wanting to work along side the sort of idiots the ministry attracted but remembered just in time that this would be scarcely tactful to the Minister of Education.

Lucius just caught his eye and smiled slightly. David was pretty certain he had guessed exactly what he had nearly blurted out!

Lucius was all right.

And Lucius too understood the need to understand muggles better and to use other means than pure concealment to protect the wizarding world from them.

Lucius spoke such thoughts aloud.

"As you see, Minister, a very exclusive, even snobbish school that is rude to Americans or indeed anyone 'not of the right background' is something muggles understand; and in Britain it is something they RESENT but ACCEPT. It is things they do not understand that make them react in a disproportionately violent way. We all know how much valuable ministry time is taken up by having to confund muggles who have seen something they should not have seen, or to disillusion our normal means of transport. So long as proper muggle documentation is arranged, a far easier confundment than to cover a slip, we can arrange more enchanted aeroplanes and – and jellycroppers."

"Helicopters, Mr Malfoy" said David.

"Exactly. Excellent boy, knows exactly what I mean" said Lucius "Be Minister of Muggle Relations before we know where we are, Hmm?" he grinned at David's outraged look.

"Yes, it saves a lot of valuable time and helps conceal us in a world of increasing population and – so I understand – increasing numbers of muggles prepared to believe" said the Minister.

"Yes; with a decline in beliefs in religion, there are muggles turning to ever stranger beliefs, some of which come close to our own practices because they have come upon old books that have some truth within them" said Lucius "Short of destroying all these books – a mammoth task, especially with the mass confundings of any who might have read them – it is easier to take the joint steps of pooh-poohing such beliefs in public through such of my muggle acquaintances who have influence and of making sure that there are less things for such discerning muggles to see. And I would also argue for investigating such muggles rather than confunding them out of hand and building up a cadre of those who know and who have some stake in our society – the right to stand, for example, as muggle representatives and to vote in elections. That way, should it become expedient at any time to make wide spread disclosure, we shall have friends who will help to ease the knowledge in, as it were. You'll be at the wedding, by the way, Mr Fraser?"

"Yes, thank you Mr Malfoy" said David "Wouldn't miss it for worlds."

The look the minister gave him was a little jaundiced. David reflected she had probably not been invited.

But then, he was friends with both brides and both grooms; and she was not.

David's OWL results arrived right before the wedding; and a small package much like that in which his prefect badge had arrived. Puzzled – and wondering if Professor Dumbledore had decided to swop him to another house or something – David opened that before he opened his results.

It was a Head of House badge.

David gasped.

It was rare for someone in the lower sixth to be Head of House; but then, Ginny Weasley had no natural successor in the year below her so perhaps Dumbledore felt that he David would rise to the challenge! He ran to show Gran.

She hugged him.

On Severus' potions she seemed years younger since she had been living at Hogwarts and she really enjoyed every aspect of her life there; and David was reminded again of Lucius' idea of having muggle friends. The marauders of course were on good terms with their actress friend, Grace Sylvia; and had been firmly introducing her to the squib Colonel Smith as she seemed to have no luck with choosing her own boyfriends. That sort of thing would be a start.

And there again, how many muggleborn were descended from squibs who had sought to make a life for themselves in the muggle world but who still carried the genes that determined the magically active?

"David, you'll make Severus, Albus and Minerva proud of you" said Gran, of the badge.

"Oh dear" said David "But I shan't get to argue a case for who should be head boy or girl if I'm a house head because I'll theoretically be a candidate."

"Was there anyone likely to be a house head you had set your heart on then?" asked Gran.

David shrugged.

"Not really; though I'd as soon NOT have a Ravenclaw. Not that I know who's likely to be chosen; one of the Greengrasse girls for Slytherin I guess, either one would be a good House Head. Lester Bane in Hufflepuff is a good sort; I'd not object to him as Head Boy, though he'll be a little pedestrian after Draco and Ginny. I guess you can't always have someone who'll set the world on fire" he shrugged.

"Is that your results?" asked Gran.

David nodded, ripping into the envelope, suddenly eager to see if the Minister had been right about his Geomancy.

And there it was, Geomancy grade 'O' alongside Potions, Arithmancy and Care of Magical Beasts, all at 'O' and a bracketed confirmation of his early 'O' grade in Defence against the Dark Arts. Five 'O' grades were not to be sneezed at even if such a result would disappoint Hermione, he thought, grinning to himself. And he had attained an 'E' in both Transfiguration and Astromomy, which was better than he had hoped for with the latter; and had at least attained an 'A' grade pass for Charms, Herbology and Muggle Studies. That rubbish about power stations probably had dropped him a grade, but maybe too it had enlightened both examiner and Madam Burbage. Madam Burbage meant well but knew very little about muggles for real! Really one might as well have someone teaching DADA who could not even drive off a boggart….but then David recalled, there HAD been Gilderoy Lockhart before he had started Hogwarts. Ten OWLs! He punched the air.

Gran read through the list and hugged him.

"I'm so proud of you" she said "And I'd have been proud of you even if you'd failed them all, with all the effort you put in to fighting that nasty little man. I'm so glad you found your way into Hogwarts! Your parents would be proud of you too I know; they were both ready to support you if you did not outgrow your desire to be a soldier, even though I know they had reservations, as parents must when their children stand into danger. Sometimes there's no choice; your grandfather was older than I and he fought the Nazis. And his father had been a conscientious objector; but he changed his mind when Hitler showed what he was capable of, and joined the Home Guard willingly. I hated the time when you were fighting; but I know it was necessary….ah." she said.

"Ah?" said David, apprehensively.

"You are still a warrior for peace, aren't you?" said Gran "Something in your look tells me it isn't over…."

"There's still Odessa" said David "The ones we think sent the huorns… they rode on the back of the organisation of the same name that supported – and supports – members of the SS; they are racial supremacists only of the wizarding kind, exploiting the mysticism of the SS and effectively using them as muggle agents little short of slaves though I doubt the muggles realise it. Because of Granddad among other things I pledged to fight them."

"Then I will be as much of a support as I can be" said Gran "And at least the Bloodgroup helps keep you safer and your comrades and leaders in that actually care about their troops. I have to say, I have no time for Molly Weasley's hysterical rubbish; kids die in war as much as adults and to my mind any way of protecting them that works has to be good. As this Blood Ritual seems to have done. Far too sheltered, some of these wizarding folk if you ask me!"

David hadn't asked her, but he agreed.

Only the deep infiltration of deatheaters into the Ministry had forced some of the idiots to take their heads out of the sand!

"I'm glad we got a new style of government" he said "One that actually does something."

"I never thought I'd agree that something worked better than democracy" sighed Gran "But the wizarding world is too socially primitive for true democracy. They're stuck somewhere mentally in about the fifteenth century. Think Florentine and Venetian Renaissance."

David was much struck; and he laughed suddenly.

"With Lucius Malfoy as our stand-in for Niccolo Machiavelli" he said.

oOoOo

The wedding went like a dream; both brides were radiant – as brides are supposed to be – and both grooms were faintly bemused – as grooms are wont to be. Grace shone with the beauty of happiness that made Draco catch his breath, and Ginny was definitely an auburn haired beauty without a whisper of 'ginger' anywhere. David – at the request of both grooms – had worn a Fraser sept kilt and played 'Black Bear' on the bagpipes, which he was now getting quite good at. With its war connotations it had special significance for all of them.

Ron was best man for Harry of course; and Hermione matron of honour for Ginny. Draco and Grace chose Severus and Krait for those offices.

The reporters from wizarding news services were there in force of course, and Lucius tolerated them up to a point until the wedding party was due to retire to the Manor, when well-rehearsed bridesmaids – Jade, Lydia, Erica, Lynx Black-Weasley, Senagra and Gabrielle Delacourt - thrust posies into the hands of the reporters who were still thinking how sweet they were when the portkeys operating from the posies took them in different directions to the middle of the countryside. Avice and Alienora were bridesmaids too as was Lilith; but considered too young to hand out portkeys reliably. Hawke and Abraxus had to firmly distract their twin sisters to prevent them complaining that they had not handed out bouquets too. Lilith's look of comprehension as the reporters vanished boded ill for her great uncle Lucius later for leaving her out; but she bided her time, and Severus quickly captured his small daughter and explained mendaciously that Lucius had been afraid the silly reporters might have picked up a small girl who was so very sweet and accidentally kidnapped her and her twin cousins.

Severus was a very good liar and Lilith had not yet attained legilimensy at her tender years and accepted the explanation.

After all, there was nobody as cute as her, as she informed her daddy.

Severus briefly wondered about a lecture on vanity and decided that this was neither the time nor place.

Kordach had come to the wedding and slid into the grounds with the wedding guests. He was nattily dressed as always in a pearl grey hat with a sharp point, pearl grey gloves and a robe in charcoal grey trimmed with tasteful silver. He looked just the wrong side of being snappily attired. Hawke, pointing him out to the other marauders, said that nobody could ever mistake him for anything but a crime boss. Kordach meantime was looking for Lucius.

"I know I'm not perhaps welcome, Mr Malfoy" he said to Lucius "But we goblin folk are conscious of the debt we owe your son and Harry and their wives among others; and I'd be grateful if you'd let me drink a toast and wish them well, and then I'll go. I know how we'd have suffered under Voldemort."

Lucius nodded.

"You stay, Kordach" he said "And welcome too now I here you're starting to legitimise. You're a man of substance and we'd do well to listen to your ideas. I'll ask you to be…discreet; we have something new and I don't want it tainted with your old image. I hope you understand?"

"That's very fair and civil of you Mr Malfoy; I understand. One day I'll hope to hold up my head as a prominent member of our society without a whiff of crime about me; and if not me, perhaps my children."

Lucius nodded.

"Maybe so" he said.

So that was Kordach's ambition; to be someone. And perhaps helping to satisfy that might even help to put controls on the goblin underworld at that!

Kordach circulated the edges; greeting the young Marauders politely, and thanking them again for their intervention over Grang.

"I want to make sure my people keep honest" he said "Crime has been in my family for generations; the time has come to dissociate myself from that. I hope you'll bear that in mind, that I wish to see more honesty amongst my employees."

"Oh absolutely, Mr Kordach" said Hawke smoothly "Or should that be 'cousin'?"

"I – I beg your pardon, Mr Malfoy?" said Kordach, taken aback.

"Why, I refer to your ancestor's liaison with a muggle slave whose descendant sired a son on a Malfoy woman" said Hawke "Such a tragic and romantic story! Uncle Lucius has of course had the poor young man interred in our vaults…you do not know the story? Let me enlighten you" and he told the story of Cosmo Malfoy.

"And Lucius Malfoy acknowledges him as kin? Well, well I am surprised! He has mellowed!"

"Acting a lie as a deatheater did take its toll on his temper" Abraxus lied smoothly. "And he had to act correctly for the role he played too of course. Naturally he cannot publicly acknowledge the familial connection while your own transactions are still seen as, er, dodgy but once you are generally recognised as an honest businessman that would be a different matter; the connection is legally and morally dubious, but what family does not have skeletons in their metaphorical closet, hmmm? WE have any number!"

"Which we put on display to frighten away the neighbours" added Hawke cheerfully "We have one ancestress in the sixteenth century who reputedly had a competition with a muggle whore over who could service the most men in a given time. And of course the usual collection of murderers, thieves and even the odd pirate. I think the only crimes Malfoys haven't committed at some point are Barratry and Incest."

"And that's only because no-one is really sure what Barratry is" grinned Abraxus.

Kordach chuckled.

"Well, that makes honest thieves and gamblers almost respectable!" he said. "I don't touch slavery – never have done – though I have smuggled enough over the years; some of the prohibitions are silly. But my people do not touch the running of live snidgets. It's totally wrong and ruins a good game. I do not agree with those who say the live snidget makes a better game than an artificial snitch; do not agree at all."

"Well I'm sure that the sillier laws may be revised in time" said Hawke "Though I must say I agree with some; being a Slytherin as I am I get very upset by the traffic in runespoor eggs and the like; or amateurs trying to make basilisks."

"And THEY are so many fools" said Kordach. "Nobody in their right mind wants to make a Basilisk!"

"Well considering the improper uses old Salazar's pet was put to, perhaps you're right" said Hawke.

They reported later to Lucius that Kordach was still smuggling as part of his business and might continue to do so unless warned off personally; but that he would probably continue to hold shares in a smuggling business he could distance himself from. They had hardly needed legilimensy to learn that much from the Goblin crime lord; not after their studies with Severus.

"At least he doesn't touch slavery or snidget procurement" said Lucius "Those ones I could NOT shrug off. Nice job, boys."

"Thanks uncle Lucius" they chorused, Romulus and Kinat too.

They had enjoyed the wedding.

They had been page boys, but had accepted it with good grace as a means to be near the central guests to surreptitiously cast the fluorescent fart jink on the most pompous ones and the ones they did not like such as Sephara's mother. Sephara had refused to be a bridesmaid on grounds that her mother would make a fuss, and the new Marauders were out for vengeance on their blood sister's lack of self confidence. And they had achieved it, not only with the jinx on her anal eructations but also by casting a subtle version of the babbling curse to make her speak the absolute – and total – truth all afternoon.

She had offended at least a dozen people to date.

The marauders felt it had been a very successful occasion!

_a/n you can find 'Black Bear' in a variety of versions on Youtube including the snippet from 'The Longest Day'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Abraxus and Hawke were both to be prefects in their respective houses, Ellie being the other fifth form Gryffindor, and Willow the other Slytherin. Myrtle was delighted to be a prefect for Hufflepuff; and Romulus was quidditch captain for Slytherin and almost counted as a prefect leaving Kinat the only Marauder not honoured.

"And that'll be politics" said Kinat cheerfully "Can't expect a half goblin and a full goblin in the same year; besides, Ellie IS more responsible than me. And the school gets enough murmurs for having me; reckon if I was a prefect I might actually get assassination attempts. "

His friends thumped him on the shoulder. They knew he was disappointed deep down though it was as he said probably Dumbledore's way of protecting him.

"Everyone knows we hunt as a pack anyway" said Hawke.

The young marauders had been hunting as a pack in Obscura Alley acting under instructions from Lucius. The alley, and its continuation complex of streets off Umbrous lane were part of the wizarding world few of the 'nice' children of Hogwarts ever knew about, let alone saw; they were the more insalubrious end of the wizarding world in London and a high percentage of the population were goblins. Obscura Alley opened off Dalling Road, by walking through the wall of the railway bridge over the road and existed in wizarding space within the same area as the raised underground station of Ravenscourt Park. It had an artificial sky that approximately imitated that of the outside but somehow….dingier. It served as the main wizarding shopping mall for the neighbourhood, mostly to be found in a veritable warren of lanes off Umbrous lane that was entered by going through the railway wall on the other side of the Ravenscourt Road. Here one might find also Umbrous Place and Umbrous Place North, Twilight Lane, Shadow Court, Darkvale, Umbrous Alley, Crepuscular Crescent and Penumbrous Court, the latter the more upmarket part of the complex on this side. There was a high goblin population at the 'wrong' end of Diagon Alley – where Kinat and Ellie lived and few schoolchildren penetrated to – but they were generally employees at Gringott's and therefore well off. The goblins here looked far more downtrodden. The marauding four decided to take time being busy establishing themselves as known faces to pass as urchins by dressing down and loafing about in Obscura Alley initially until their faces were well enough known to be ignored.

Obscura Alley had more stalls than Diagon Alley, set up in a wide part of the street in the middle. The first narrow part was taken up with residential buildings, the far end with small, mean properties, some seeming to sell some services or goods but the majority of shops clustered around the wide central part, from which also opened up a court that led off it rejoicing in the name of Hagsraven Court. In the residential area was one building Lucius particularly wanted watching as it was an apartment block he owned.

There was a second outlet of Borgin and Burke's here next to a house which seemed to be no shop but to which people came and went.; another junk shop; the publishing house of 'Divination – Tomorrow!'; Splinter and Kreek, second hand brooms; a Goblin Watchmaker and more. The street vendors would not have been out of place in Portobello Road; a fishmonger, second hand robe sellers, which sold clothes at jumble sale prices and like quality; which was to say, very variable. And more. They were there to look not interact too much at first.

They had felt however that they had no choice but to interfere when the young witch had collapsed; and so they had gone to her aid as nobody else seemed inclined to do so. They dragged her quietly between two houses and sent for Beloc with a blood-call to have the young woman taken to Severus whom they trusted more than St Mungo's.

It transpired that Emmie Cauldron – which was the young woman's name – had been having an affair with a wealthy wizard who dropped her when she got pregnant. Terrified of being labelled a scarlet woman and losing her job she went to Number 68 Obscura Alley where abortion potions were sold. This was in the poorer end. As Severus pointed out dryly, off-the-shelf potions can be dodgy things to take; and he had needed to work quite hard to save Emmie's life and prevent her dying of blood loss, for in his estimation the dose she had taken had been almost twice what had been needed. She lost the baby, naturally.

Emmie was happy to return to work rather than have anything more to do with wealthy and scary people; she was grateful but she knew where she was in her lower class, uneducated environment.

"We need a day school there" said Severus grimly.

The Marauders returned and peered into the window of No. 68 which had a dirty sign declaring it to be the shop of Wido and Anchises Grubbe, procurers of equipment. A small and shadowy card in the window read;

"Virgins for dark rite available on request – enquire within. Kidnapping undertaken to order, reasonable rates. Abortion services."

It was a time for quiet legilimensy; in a magical neighbourhood where few people seemed to restrain their children from spell casting anyway nobody was going to notice a spot of underage casting.

What they found out was that the brothers Grubbe 'did favours' and 'acquired things' for people; and most of those from whom they got answers were hazy about what favours and things and preferred to remain in ignorance. The general view was that they had never been deatheaters because they were too low and insignificant for Voldemort to want, and that they were too cocksure to ever be able to call anyone 'Master' without laughing derisively, which would have proved rather fatal. The opinion was that they took on jobs Kordach and his people would not touch. They were accounted fair potioneers and sold in addition to their abortifacient, various cold cures and love potions, hate potions and boil-producing potions. They had never attended Hogwarts; so presumably their potions training had been a little….haphazard.

But at the wrong end of town, beggars could not be choosers; and not everyone trusted the apothecary at Number 47.

Lucius was right.

Obscura Alley and its environs would bear watching.

And unlike Hermione who dragged her friends into things willy nilly, the new Marauders were content to watch, wait and bide their time before getting into serious trouble.

New children were meanwhile convening in Diagon Alley to buy their school necessities. Jade Snape had been many times with other older children; now it was her own turn at last and she was excited! Seaghsron, her newest adopted brother, was there too, rather over-awed by the whole business and pretending to be cocky to cover it. They had little Harmony Bloom with them too for her first year, as the Snapes' ward, and her sister Melody of course was with the older ones for their new text books and supplies of consumables. Melody went off with Callum Prince and Cynner Strong of course; Jem and Erwin found their own friends; and the new marauders arrived late, collected Willow and went off in the sort of conspiratorial huddle that, as Severus said, no new prefects ever ought to be seen in by members of the lower school. Krait, feeling her pregnancy, had stayed at home with the little ones.

It was just a normal day for Diagon Alley; the three new muggleborn and their families rubbernecking, other families looking harassed, and ordinary wizarding folk trying to do their ordinary shopping without getting too involved with hoards of over-excited children. The red-haired Irish witch followed by singing leprechauns looked perhaps the most harassed of all.

Jade waved cheerfully to Lisa Field, Freya Tuthill and Gerald Purbeck. Lisa ignored her; Freya grinned, waved, and made frantic I-think-I-need-to-keep-my-parents-in-order signals; and Gerald patted his mother's arm, pointed, and came over.

"Hullo" he said "Weren't you the child of one of the teachers?"

"Of two, if we want to be picky" said Jade "But mummy's not teaching this term because she's expecting and it's been a fairly ghastly one"

"Oh" said Gerald "Yes babies don't always do things the same way, so they?"

He had four younger siblings, one still a babe in arms, or rather in a buggy, so he knew what he was talking about.

"If your mum and dad want to sit it out in the ice-cream shop with the younger ones, you can come round with us" said Jade "Have you changed your money?"

He nodded.

"I guess I wouldn't mind if we could join you but my parents are really enjoying this" he said "Caroline – my next sister – is really pleased for me, though I think Elaine is a bit upset because I'll be going away. Bethany's too small to really understand of course. Have you got any siblings between you and the baby?"

"Heaps" said Jade "Lydia's really my sister, she's a year younger than me, Seagh here's adopted, so's Mimi and Sevvy then there's Lilith, Richard and Iris and we look after Salazar and Rose who are mummy's half siblings, they're of an age with Lilith and Richard, about your Bethany's age down. Mum stayed at home with the little ones; she's not that much taller than me you see and she's EEEnormous even though she's not due for a couple of months. And there are three older ones, and Grace just got married, they're all adopted of course, and seven wards that we have to look after too. This is Harmony; she's one of dad's wards."

"Hi" said Gerald to Seagh and Harmony.

Harmony smiled shyly and Seagh grinned.

"I think" said Severus "That young Bethany here might like to play with my youngsters for the afternoon, and maybe young Elaine too if you've no objection, Mr Purbeck, Madam Purbeck?"

Gerald's parents looked at each other.

"Would you like that Bethy, Elaine?" asked their mother.

Bethany nodded vigorously. Elaine said,

"No!" and added "Thank you" when her mother looked at her sternly.

"Well, well, I expect you want to have as much of your brother as possible before he goes off to school" said Severus. "If he remains a good friend of my Jade, perhaps you'll all come and play in the holidays another time." This one, like the oldest, was untalented; and Severus felt for them more than he had felt for Petunia Evans now he had the adult perspective. He concentrated: and Sirri turned up.

"This is Sirri, Bethany" he said "She'll take you by magic to my house. She's an elf. You're too big to be scared, aren't you?"

Bethany nodded firmly and took Sirri's hand trustingly. The little elf clicked her fingers and disapparated.

"Where has she taken my sister to?" Elaine panicked.

"Why to my house, as I told your mother" said Severus "It's a funny old house, very tall and thin, in a place called Orme Court. It's not far from the statue of Peter Pan and often my children go to play in the park where the statue is."

"Don't worry Elaine" said her father "The Professor is not going to let Bethany come to any harm."

"Can we see how many more weevils we can find, dad?" asked Jade.

"NOT until we have your cauldrons and potioneering kit" said Severus "Whatever other classes you slack in, you are NOT slacking in mine."

Jade giggled.

"It's Neville's class for the first two years" she said cheekily.

"And you will remember he is Professor Longbottom you horrid child!" said Severus.

"Oh yes! And that Mummy is Professor Malfoy when she comes back to teaching" said Jade. "I'm so SORRY Professor Snape!" and she twinkled at him. Severus cuffed her gently with two fingers.

"Is yours this much trouble?" he asked Mr Purbeck.

"To be honest with you Professor, I'd love him to learn to be" said Mr Purbeck "St Mungo's has fixed the hole in his heart – after the medical profession had given up on him – and he's a different boy already, but still very quiet; it's habit you see. And now we don't have to keep telling him to keep quiet and not run around, he finds it difficult to learn to."

"Oh that'll soon change when they're all playing together" said Severus "Especially if he's attached to my daughter; she's a lively imp."

Jade grinned.

She was a Junior Marauder, but she would also have responsibilities within that of running a gang of her own age to protect them from any bullies!

She was pointing out the broom shop, and explaining that first years did not in general own their own brooms, when the accident-prone shop assistant tripped over his own feet and dropped the box containing six snitches which fluttered freely away to his howls of anguish.

"_accio broom!_" cried Jade, and one flew from the display for her to take a flying leap onto. And she was after them!

"I suppose I'd better help" said Severus, also summoning one of the brooms.

It was the most exhilarating flying Jade had ever done! The snitches were initially in a bit of a bunch, and she had no difficulty grabbing two quite quickly, and stuffed them down her sweater; then the chase was on in earnest! Severus, behind her, was pursuing the one that was heading for Knockturn Alley, and made a rolling catch that brought applause from the watching wizarding folk. Jade could see another; and daringly she got her feet onto the broom and stood up, as the new marauders had been teaching her; and made a leap, landing back on the broom by way of something akin to a Korbut flick that she had learned from Willow. She received her own applause as she shoved that one down her front before getting back on the broom properly.

"I saw your knickers!" shouted out a small boy.

Jade just stuck her tongue out at him. Such a comment was not worth dignifying with a reply.

The fourth was near the ground; and with a dive almost as sharp as a Wronski feint she was after it; and had it!

Severus meanwhile was in hot pursuit of the final snitch that had flown high up to the rooftops. It fluttered in and out of chimney stacks as though it was evading him on purpose; which in a way it was for such was its magical programming. Severus was in no mood to muck about; he flew upside-down over the chimneys and reached out with a swift hand sure and trained from precision potion making.

It was secured.

He joined his daughter, who held up four fingers.

He held up two and they returned to the shop.

"Gosh, thanks, sir, thanks miss!" said the shop assistant "That was some flying! Reckon you'll be house seeker for whatever house you're in!"

"Reckon I won't" said Jade, sadly "I'll probably be Slytherin, and my brother's Quidditch Captain and he won't want to be seen to show any partiality. So he won't."

"Then that'll be a shame" said the shopkeeper "Reckon anyone who's seen you fly would reckon you ought to be! And Professor – I had no idea you were so good!"

Severus gave a grim smile.

"I too was Seeker for Slytherin in my day" he said.

"I'm looking forward to flying you know" said Gerald to Jade "Isn't it a bit…you know, sore, sitting on a broom?"

"That's what cushioning charms are for" said Jade "And why doing acrobatics means you have to be really precise; 'cos you can't stand on the cushioned area without wobbling like mad. Otherwise it's just like skateboarding."

"Do wizards skateboard?"

"No not generally….just some of us" said Jade "My cousins and sibs and our friends. Do you skateboard or weren't you allowed to with a heart problem?"

"Wasn't allowed to" said Gerald. "No reason I can't now though!"

There were still things to purchase – the first years needed a plethora of books for one – and Severus whisked them onward firmly. Mr Smith had, with Krait's financial help, acquired new books in bulk and had neatly stacked and tied with string the first year books.

It was very helpful; and Severus said so.

Mr Smith beamed.

"Thank you Professor" he said "It seemed like a good idea, and for new parents too, it's the sort of service that might make us take enough of the custom to really make us viable rivals to Flourish and Blotts, at least with the more general books. For senior electives I think I'll mostly stick to second hand at least for now."

Flourish and Blotts were already really regretting the fact that one of the partners had been so rude to some of Krait's non human charges the year before!

They ran into Aurelia Yaxley and her mother in the bookshop; she too would be starting this year.

"Hello cousin Aurelia" said Jade "You got a new cousin since I saw you last, this is Seagh, we've adopted him."

"He looks pretty much Malfoy anyway" said Aurelia.

"Meh, he's half-fey so he might well be, somewhere in the mix" said Jade "Malfoys have fey blood in them I reckon. Victor Crabbe's starting this year too, isn't he?"

"Yes. I can't make him out; he's bad tempered, but then his little brother's such a spoilt mummy's darling I guess it's enough to make anyone bad tempered."

"Well away from him at school perhaps he'll settle down" said Jade.

"Bet Dympna Burke won't" said Aurelia gloomily " – you met her at the party too? She's very much in love with Dympna Burke you know."

"Oh well, perhaps being shaken down in a dorm with others will teach her the realities of life" said Jade tolerantly "If not we can fill her bed with crumbs, put jelly in her slippers and cast the fluorescent fart jinx on her."

Aurelia giggled.

"Now THAT sounds intriguing!" she said.

"Bet I know more curses, jinxes and hexes than any other weevil – first year – going!" Jade said.

"No bet!" said Aurelia. "Knocking around with reprobates like the Malfoy twins? I say, was that the jinx you meant that they put on Aunt Odilia? She was wild when she found out!"

Jade grinned.

"That, and one that made her tell the absolute truth….how many people did she fall out with in the end?"

"Oh all the ones she hadn't already" said Aurelia cheerfully. "I never knew weddings could be so much fun!"

One of the shops they stopped at that was not standard was the musical instrument shop. Jade had been learning both flute and harp, and Seagh also played the harp and the bagpipes. He had been using David Fraser's but Severus wanted to get him a set of his own. Jade's old flute was to stay in the family quarters for Lydia and she and Seagh would share a harp at school.

They were watched wistfully by a small boy of their own age, dragging his feet as his parents hurried him and his siblings past the shop. Jade knew the older children only slightly; the oldest two only because they were very musical. Twins Chloe and Terence Goodchild played violin and flute respectively and were in David's year in Ravenclaw. Jade thought them stuck up and priggish; typical Ravenclaws. Millicent Goodchild, also Ravenclaw, was a second year now and had tried to cover up her family's poverty by swanking – mendaciously – about all the pure blood families she was connected to. The MSHG had heard about her from one of only two Ravenclaw members, Francesca Longbottom, a cousin of Neville's. She had been good enough at potions that he had not needed to give her undue attention and was generally reckoned by the rest of the MSHG to be wasted as a Ravenclaw.

"Can't I have a second hand flute, Ma?" the boy asked wistfully.

"I've told you before, Godfrey, there isn't the money" snapped his mother "Your brother and sister are very talented, we can't waste money set aside for their tuition letting you muck about."

Jade was angry.

Even if he was not talented if he felt a need for music, denying him that was almost as bad as denying a magical child the chance to go to Hogwarts!

Godfrey was dragging his feet miserably as the family hurried on; and Jade whispered,

"PSsst, Godfrey! You can borrow my flute if you like and I'll teach you!"

The rather sullen face blazed in a beam of joy.

"Truly? Who are you?"

"Truly! Jade Snape, planning on Slytherin – see you on the train!" she said hastily as his mother looked round impatiently.

The next person they ran into was David Fraser, escorting little Zvetelina Krumm with Ellie's help. Viktor had not wanted to show her around himself – apart from not knowing Diagon Alley – because of his fame, and the fear that she and his brother would then be at risk from Odessa. David found her a sweetly serious little girl, a trifle overawed by the whole concept of going to a big school all for magic and utterly trusting of her new big brother's friend.

The child had very little English and David was relieved to see Severus to ask permission to teach her more with a magical transfer.

"You're so law abiding David" laughed Severus "In this place there's so much magic no-one would have noticed!"

"Maybe not sir; but what sort of example is that to set a first year?" said David.

Severus looked thoughtful.

"You're right of course" he said "We've been flouting laws – had to be flouting laws – too much, we should treat them with more respect now hopefully the rule of law is no longer the joke it once was. Though" he added dryly "I doubt any marauders will take much notice of that."

"What's marauders?" asked Gerald of Jade.

"It's a special club that does dangerous stuff for the school but accepts punishment if caught breaking the rules to do it" said Jade "And cultivates a reputation for playing tricks too. You have to be invited by the most senior marauders to set up a junior branch. They kinda do more than the Muggle Studies Hobbies Group; you'll want to join that. It teaches self defence, magical and mundane and we can talk about anything, home troubles, bullies and stuff all informally. Dad leads it and you have to agree not to call him Severus in school or expect him to be friendly to members."

"Sounds good" said Gerald

"We'll get that Goodchild boy in too" said Jade "I don't like his siblings any; but he seems all right. Pity they're traditionally Ravenclaw."

"What's wrong with that? It's one of the houses isn't it?"

"Yes, they're a snotty bunch of know-it-alls" said Jade cheerfully. "Gryffindors are brave to a fault and I choose my words with care 'cos some of them are a bit beef-brained; Slythers – Slytherin – are ambitious and good at finding lateral thinking and Hufflepuffs are hard workers and dutiful. Some Slythers can be sly and most bullies are in our house I'm afraid" she grinned "And here's me talking like I'm already Hatted and a Slytherin; but personal choice DOES have an effect."

"So I could think hard about being Slytherin to be with you and your brother and Harmony?" asked Gerald.

"Oh yes! Or you could just let the hat choose. I don't let house affiliation stop me having friends where I like" said Jade loftily "And one each of the Malfoy twins – my cousins – is in different houses, Hawke's a Slyther and Abrax is a Gryff. They and my brother Romulus and Kinat are the Marauders. And Rom's a Slyther and Kinat's a Gryff. And Abraxus' girlfriend is a Huffer."

"Oh, good" said Gerald seriously "Being what do you call it, muggleborn, it's nice to make friends when you don't know anyone in the community. You know everybody!"

"Only 'cos of dad being a Professor for years and mum knowing all the in-crowd that have just left" said Jade. "She's not really our mum you know; only to Lilith and Richard, because she's too young, but she's been there for Lydia and me for ever. She's only twenty now you see. But she's been all the mum Lydia and me had since I was nearly five and Lydie was three, when we were in an orphanage together. Dad adopted us and then he married her."

"That's nice" said Gerald "He seems a pretty fine dad; I'd not have guessed you were adopted!"

"He's the best" said Jade, then grinned "Though you'll disagree! Your dad seems nice!"

"He has time for us" said Gerald "He's a cabinet maker and he works from home, so mum can work part time for the times when dad doesn't have so much work coming in. She's pretty sick of her work though; she's an administrator in the National Health Service and she says the level of care isn't really National, they don't care about your Health and it's a pretty lousy Service. 'Course them writing me off did kinda make her more cynical."

"Hardly surprising" said Jade "Well a good cabinet maker's always in demand in the wizarding community; you need to have a hand made piece of furniture before you can put any enchantment on it you know; it doesn't stick so well on mass produced things. Well, not unless you're very skilled. And you can get greater results from an individual hand made piece too. Like my flute; it's been made by hand with a mind to enchantment so I could get it to play by itself. Any idiot can get any old flute to play something of course, but it needs a decent instrument and a half competent musician to make it sound really good though. You can do that to set up accompaniment you see. And that would just be a charm; making things permanent takes the skill of enchantment. Most charms will wear off in time, or are easily dispelled. It'd be inconvenient if someone cast a general spell-cancelling spell after a rather boisterous and thoroughly forbidden duel from broom back and all the brooms lost their charms. We talk about cushioning charms and flying charms, and they are charms, but they've been tied in with enchantment as well. Which can involve a bit of chanting as the name suggests, but there's more to chanting than that and….well you'll find out. Dad teaches chanting and ritual but only to seniors because it's fairly heavy magic. The bit we learn in enchanting to repeat and so tie spells in kinda prepares us for it a bit."

"There's such a lot to learn!" said Gerald.

"That's why we have taster classes of everything in the first and second, because you can't learn everything to a high level" said Jade "And then we have to choose our electives to go on to do as OWLs. They reckon we've discovered what we can do and what we can't, only some things are compulsory, like Charms, Transfigurations, Care of magical Beasts, Defence against the Dark Arts, and Potions, because they're the core subjects. The professors are pretty flexible though if you want to do two electives that clash, they'll fit you in somewhere or in the evening, or you can use a time turner if they trust you with one and do two classes at once by being in two places at once, only it's risky to the health so they only let the top students do it. Me, I'd rather study extra time. Time-turners can be a two-edged sword."

"Uh…right" said Gerald.

"I'd not mind" boasted Seagh.

"Yes you would" said Jade quickly "You're half-fey; using a time turner could make your grasp on substance more tenuous because you're splitting what you have into two times. You might never get to put yourself back together again and be fully solid again."

Seagh looked shocked.

"I didn't know that" he said, subdued.

"I read all about fey when we first adopted you" said Jade "Uncle Lucius has a massive library on the subject so I skanked books off of him."

At last they had everything!

Severus treated them all to ices and told them to go and play while he found out what had happened to his older charges.

Jade took her friends down the other end of Diagon Alley to Tangent Alley, Tangent Court and Lemuria Lane where several of her goblin friends lived. Senagra had finished her shopping and they collected up some street kids and a self-turning skipping rope to skip to the new version of a very old skipping rhyme that Jade had written. The rope swung back and forth as they jumped back and forth over it singing,

"Old Voldemort's dead and lies in his grave, lies in his grave, lies in his grave, old Voldemort's dead and lies in his grave, eevy-ivy-over!"

On the last line the rope swung right overhead and anyone who failed to jump it as it came round was out.

The subsequent lines ran:

-He died because he didn't behave

-He hid an old horcrux in a dark cave

-The horcrux was broke the world to save

-Mouldy old Voldy did rant and rave

-Harry Potter was so very brave

-With Gryffindor's sword Voldy's heart he did shave

Those who did not know the new words giggled half shocked; a lifetime of talking about You-Know-Who was not about to erode in the few short years since Voldemort had been safely dead!

And Gerald had to have the whole thing explained to him because of being muggleborn.

Voldemort was dead; and Jade hugged herself to think how he would have hated to be the subject of a little girls' skipping rhyme.

Some things that were very simple could be so very sweet too, even if 'horcrux' was only a word to the others, explained by Jade as something of dark magic, to skip to a rhyme ridiculing it helped to deal with the fear and horror of that dark time, and the frenetic searching the older ones had done to find and destroy all the horcruces Tom Riddle had made. Nobody could fear him ever again if all he had become was a skipping song.

_A/N The skipping rhyme goes to the tune of Old Roger is dead/Oliver Cromwell is buried and dead [depending on what part of England your skipping rhyme comes from whether it refers to Roger Bigod or Noll Cromwell]_

_Obscura Alley and the Umbrous Lane complex are what I invented to account for a large wizarding population in London. It shows how old I am that I know Dalling Road from the time Games Workshop [yes the big multinational company] was one poky little shop there.  
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	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

There was no prefect's meeting to attend for David; as house head he was ineligible to listen or vote for Head Boy or Girl. He saw Zvetelina onto the train, putting her firmly in the care of Jade Snape and her already respectable retinue. To which she quickly added the latest of Colin Weasley's siblings, a lad named Roger with hair as ginger and a grin as broad as any other Weasley; and Claudia Barnett, little sister of Tim, now moving into the third and full of himself to be in the middle school and permitted for the first time to visit Hogsmeade. Freya Tuthill thought about joining Jade, but she was so plainly having an emotional parting from her brother, who was almost like a twin to her, that Jade left them to it. Time enough to get to know Freya later. It was a pity the boy had no talent; he looked a good sort, if a bit Gryffindorish.

David was approached by a young woman with a trunk in a trolley.

"Hogwarts train?" she asked.

"That's right ma'am" said David, wondering who she was. She seemed too young to have offspring, and there was no child with her. And yet too old and self assured to be a sixth former, of which he was expecting one new one. She was also very pretty, with bright blue eyes in her pale face and thick chestnut hair. "Can I help you?" he added.

She smiled.

"Well maybe you as a prefect will be able to help me find my feet…. I'm the replacement for Professor Dweemer, teaching enchantment and items."

David blinked.

"Something's wrong with Merciful Percival – er, I mean Professor Dweemer?" he said, shocked

"I understand his mother is unwell; I am a temporary replacement, my name is Araminta Jones. I left school some years ago and was glad to be invited to teach."

David was no great legilimens; but her words were somehow nagging at him as not entirely true.

"Excuse me, Ma'am" he said "But before you get on the train I'd like confirmation from Professor Snape."

"Professor Snape? The potions master?"

"Yes, I'm sure you remember him well….most people do" said David.

"Uh… yes of course" said Madam Jones.

"Madam, you are lying" said David.

She looked at him in misery and horror.

"What makes you say so?"

"That you just recite 'the potions master' when many have an emotional response to his didactic style of teaching" said David.

She slumped.

"To be caught out by a student…. I'll not stand a chance then with the teachers before I find the ones who killed Voldemort!"

"What do you want with them?" David demanded.

"To beg for help" she said simply.

David read naked truth in her eyes.

"Get on the train then, Madam Jones" he said "And I shall come and talk to you when we're on our way. I know how to get you help but I shall need to know more."

She nodded, and threw him a quick, sad smile; then headed purposefully for the barrier.

From the way she steeled herself as she set herself at the barrier David knew she had not used it year after year as a student.

In fact he would be prepared to put a galleon or two on her being a muggle.

"Excuse me" the polite nothing was spoken more in the tone used to someone else's servants.

David raised an eyebrow to the tall girl who spoke. She wore the basic uniform of the school.

"Yes?" he said.

"Is this the right platform for the train to Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches?"

"It is – or rather, through the wall into wizarding space is" said David "But it's rather bad form to mention what the school is for in a region frequented by muggles, you know."

"I hardly feel that the mores of children is a matter I need take any notice of" she said loftily.

"If you take that tone, over an edict of the staff, you will find yourself in trouble, my girl" said David "And I'll also have you know that speaking like that to a prefect is not encouraged either. Especially in a new oik. You must be Fenella Fenwick, the new sixth former. Have you transferred from Beauxbatons or Durmstrang?"

"No, not at all!" the girl shuddered "I have been getting an altogether superior education at home under the aegis of my father, and I shouldn't be coming to school at all but for my aunt's foolish and strangely motivated intervention in persuading my father to send me to school for the sixth form. I doubt I shall find any here of my own intellectual attainment, but I must endure I suppose. Are you in the sixth?"

"Yes" said David "I couldn't be head of house otherwise."

"Oh? I know nothing of such customs" and her tone implied she considered them irrelevant "How many OWLs did you attain then?"

"If it's any of your business – which it isn't actually – ten" said David. "Not great grades compared to someone of superior intellectual attainments I dare say, five 'O's, two 'E's and three 'A's. We're not all Hermione Granger to get ten 'O's and an 'E'."

"You have ten with such good grades? And you are telling me a girl got this many at such high grades even from SCHOOL?"

"Yes; though Hermione is exceptional" said David "But then, school can provide not only more extensive equipment than home education but also Professors who are each expert in their own fields. Not all Professors are as outstanding as Madam Malfoy for example with five 'O' grade NEWTs and two 'E's, or Hermione's own seven 'O's; but of course, Hermione had been at school since she was eleven, and Madam Malfoy was a latecomer at fifteen, never trained in magic at all….my good girl are you starting to see things in perspective now? How many OWLs do YOU have then?"

"I only took those subjects my father thought important – Arithmancy, Charms, History of Magic, Herbology, Enchantment and items and Astronomy."

"All passed a 'O' I suppose?" said David, looking at her narrowly.

"No, not all" she said loftily. She looked shifty.

"Right" said David "Since you are willing to rubbish the education here as inferior and yet you have only six OWLs and one of them a soft option elective like History I'll know how many are 'O's my girl, because if you think you can go about calling down the intellectual attainment from a position of low achievement – and not even a grade in Potions or Transfigurations at that – then you can think again."

"You are insolent!"

"No my girl; YOU are insolent to our school; and I won't have that. And I'll tell you now, you won't be allowed to even take NEWTs unless you have studied Potions and Transfigurations to OWL level even if you fail it, and what NEWTs you are allowed to take will be dependant on your grade; because most of the professors require at least an 'E' and many require an 'O' to permit going further with your subject. As you've had a deprived education you might get away with pleading lack of resources."

"DEPRIVED? How DARE you?"

"I dare from a position of better and higher qualifications than yours because if you at least matched me in 'O' grades you'd have boasted about it" said David. "Learn a little humility; you'll get on better. And try not to act quite such a stuck up prig or even the Raveclaws won't have you. I make the suggestions in the spirit of kindness as you have blatantly been brought up rather strangely and in your own way spoilt. Most kids have seven years to get over their parents' failings; you have only two. Make the most of them."

He left the girl gasping in outrage.

Once Mary-Anne Green was safely aboard, David relaxed slightly.

Getting Cleonie Puckeridge too was even better.

And finally he could board the train and go looking for Madam Jones.

He pretended not to notice Rom Snape's careful arrangement of fairies dancing in the word 'prefect' over the heads of a cheerfully embarrassed pair of Malfoy twins on their way to the prefect's meeting.

He discovered Madam Jones involved deeply in a discussion about cricket with Willow and her convertees, and shooed them away.

One of the smaller boys whistled daringly

"Fraser fancies Madam Jones!" he whispered sibilantly. Willow cuffed him.

"Do you WANT Ellie Devlin to have your guts for garters for saying things like that?" she demanded "Now hoppit, I have a prefects' meeting to go to to elect the new Head of School."

"Who are you voting for Willow?" demanded another child.

"Who has continually supported Draco and subsequently Ginny and always been there for the juniors even outside his house when they needed help?" said Willow "I think the choice is obvious."

"Aren't you voting for Emmeline Greengrasse as head of Slytherin then?" demanded a partisan young Slytherin.

"She'll be a good head of house; but she ain't Madam Exciting" said Willow "You couldn't palm governors off on her nor expect her to find a kid that's gone missing, nor lead the school."

David wondered vaguely as the voices faded what sort of paragon either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw had found in their House Head.

"Madam Jones" he said "Please lay your problem before me."

"My name is Jones" she said "But it's Leticia. I'm Araminta's twin and we were identical in all things except her ability to use magic. She told me everything about her lessons though and I've got and re-read all her text books. She was very good; she had five NEWTs, even though she only had a fairly average eight OWLs but they were all at 'O' grade. She went touring on the continent; and in Germany they discovered that she was muggle born and she was forced into what sounds to me like a rather unfair duel. She had written to me of an organisation called Odessa; though I have heard the name in connection with ordinary – muggle – history. It's mentioned in Fredrick Forsythe's 'the Odessa file'."

"Yes, I'm familiar with the book; and yes, the racial supremacists of the wizarding world use the same name; even as they used the SS" said David.

Leticia heaved a sigh of relief.

"Then I'm not only not barking up the wrong tree, but you don't think I'm barmy" she said.

"On the contrary, Madam Jones; we - those of us of the Blood Pact who were Harry's backup and bear the lightening scar to prove it – have had more than one run in with the Odessa and consider them the greatest threat to world peace that there is, potentially more so than a single megalomaniac moron like Voldemort. He was a threat in that the Ministry just wet their pants and put their heads in a hole. Odessa is almost unheard of in Britain and unspoken of in the eastern part of Europe for sheer terror. You are looking to bring this organisation to our notice or to ask for revenge for your sister or a little of both?"

"Both…. I want Araminta revenged, but more I want people who can do that sort of thing stopped. I can tell you every stage of her journey. But, tell me, I have seen that scar on even quite young children…surely they did not fight Voldemort?"

"Yes they did…. The youngest you will have seen here is Jade Snape, who was one of the group that by their plurality helped Harry to bounce the killing curse, by taking it between many….she was blooded, as was her sister, to protect them, in case they were kidnapped. And the babes were born blooded. It's a type of magic nobody has ever done before, or not written about anyway; it's risky but the circumstances were exceptional. And we are all prepared to fight evil implacably. I'll introduce you initially to the muggle studies Hobby group – our cover in the Voldemort years – and to the blood group. We'll follow this up; I promise. Though it may not be practical to move rapidly to avenge Araminta it will be done one day. You MUST tell Professor Dumbledore who you really are though; you can swing a lot of enchanting classes on theory but you may need a little backup at times. You can get Jade to surreptitiously help with demonstrations for the first years; because of who she is and what she's seen, the kid has almost NEWT level understanding of a lot of stuff. Lynx Black-Weasley in the second will help….there's lots of nice third years but none are outrageously talented except Lionel Dell and he has an unreasonable attitude to muggles, odd kid, because he's learned to be objective in other respects. Callum Prince is probably your best bet if he's taking it as an elective. I'm not sure he is. Fourth? Pris Lockhart. Fifth? Willow, who you were talking to about cricket is blood group too, she's doing enchanting. Could probably teach it at that, she's interested in wands, wants a job with Ollivander. She looks at new kids and tells you what wood and what core they'll have and gets it right more often than not. Kinat, Hawke and Abrax are doing enchanting too, all blood group, all talented. Lower sixth? I'm not studying it….Lysistrata Attercop. Take her into your confidence; she's a loyal type but not to people who lie to her. Upper sixth? Martin Umbridge. He's not blood group but he's close to a lot of us."

"Thank you; and I don't know your name."

David grinned.

"David 'mad-dog' Fraser." He said "The nickname comes from my first year when I went for a senior bully growling and biting. It worked" he reflected "They had me down as a werewolf for years."

"In any other school that would be a cliché."

David grinned.

"We've no werewolves at the moment; Professor Dumbledore would have told me and expected me to take care of them if we had. I'm an animagus – dog – so even if Professor Snape couldn't control the change with adolescent hormones getting in the way, I could smell less like prey and keep a juvenile werewolf from hurting himself or other people, the way James Potter and Sirius Black did with Remus Lupin. He's a werewolf, by the way; teaches DADA. Nice chap."

"I am less fazed about such things than I would have been had not Minty shared everything with me…. I sometimes wonder how much magic I might have discovered latent in myself if I'd stowed away" she said wistfully.

"We've had a few squibs and near squibs and one muggle with potential below what the book accepts who just happened to be a parselmouth so we sort of acquired him" said David "And Teague O'Toole had to have it awakened in him – he's got some fey blood somewhere in there we think – and Lucius Malfoy's muggle mistress can use magical paints and get some wand response. It's not as much an either you have it or you don't thing as has always been thought; there are degrees."

"Well perhaps I shall pick up enough to do some magic" said Madam Jones "I have my sister's wand. That, a well wisher sent home, together with an account of what happened. The letter was anonymous; and I never cared to make enquiries about the writer. They didn't want to be known."

"Quite" said David. "These people are as insidious as the Gestapo and ten times as dangerous. And I quite understand why most people prefer to lie low. Sending you the note was risk enough. I imagine they assumed that any twin of Araminta's was also magical and hoped YOU would take up the fight. Too many people forget the old adage that all it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to stay silent."

David went on the prowl; with most of the prefects tied up in the debate and voting, there was bound to be trouble.

He discovered that the second years had been holding an indignation meeting over Timothy Gregory, a Ravenclaw prefect who became more insufferable every year – in Lynx's words – and to whom they intended presenting a list of awful omens over those who were rotten to small people. He just raised an eyebrow and promised himself to keep an eye on that since it could sort itself out or might blow out of all proportion. He planned on making an off the cuff comment in front of the boy that prefects were only ragged if they weren't doing their jobs properly.

The two lower years had also come quickly to a decision, it seemed, to act as though Fenella Fenwick did not exist. David reflected grimly that she probably had not even noticed.

He broke up two wand fights, extricated a third year from an exotic selection of curses that had left him virtually tied in a knot and let several bat-bogeys out of the carriage window. Fortunately it seemed to be quite a quiet trip.

What he had NOT reckoned on was recognising young Freya Tuthill's older brother.

"Mr Tuthill" said David "I do NOT recall that you had permission to come to Hogwarts."

The boy flushed.

"It was my fault, Fraser" said Freya "I couldn't bear to part from him; we've always been together. I – I told my parents he'd gone out through the barrier ahead of them and he hid under my seat."

"Not exactly your fault alone, Miss Tuthill" said David "As it took the two of you to conspire….and what were you planning on doing in Hogwarts, laddie?"

"I brought my ordinary textbooks sir" said young Tuthill.

"Don't 'sir' me; I'm a prefect not a professor" said David. "My name's Fraser. What's your first name?"

"Ross, s – Fraser" he said meekly. "I – I guess I hoped I could maybe pick up SOME ability being around magic."

"Very well" said David "We shall leave it to the Sorting Hat. If it places you in a house you will continue to study privately at your muggle subjects; and see at regular intervals if you can get any result from a wand. If the Hat rejects you out of hand, you go home. Is that understood?"

"Oh yes, Fraser, thank you!" said Ross Tuthill.

"And in the meantime I shall have to let your poor parents know; they must be out of their minds with worry!" said David, wondering how to get a message out of what was effectively wizarding space to someone.

And then he bethought of the blood call and asked silently for Beloc.

With the house elf turning up David was able to ask him to tell Professor Dumbledore who would know what to do; and to pass on what he had promised young Tuthill.

"And I hope he agrees it was the best thing to do" said David "If he HAS potential it's a shame to waste it – with all that sibling loyalty attached – and if he hasn't it'll be a hard but decisive lesson for him."

"I will explain to the Head!" squeaked Beloc confidently. "Brothers OUGHT to stick by their sisters, I always stick by MY sister" he added firmly, winking at young Tuthill, who grinned weakly.

That he could see the house elf meant he was at least a sensitive; which was a good start.

Once in the castle, the Hat thought very hard about Ross Tuthill.

"Provisionally Gryffindor" it declared.

That caused a flutter; the Hat had never been uncertain in its pronouncements before.

"Oh THANK you Hat!" said Ross joyfully.

Freya was with her brother in Gryffindor, and it was no surprise later that Roger Weasley was too.

Jade had to sit and wait almost as long as Roger for her own Hatting; Harmony went into Slytherin, and young Godfrey Goodchild to the shock and outrage of his siblings. Jade had had a long chat to him on the train and found him proud without arrogance with a love of music that almost surpassed anything else; and what he was able to do untutored on her flute persuaded her that he MUST be properly taught. She suggested that if he were in her probable house he could use her instruments more easily; and obviously he had reflected that desire to the Hat. Jade was glad.

Gerald Purbeck was also keen to be with the new friends he had made and was also put into Slytherin. Victor Crabbe and Dympna Burke might also be in the same house, but Jade had no doubts on her own abilities to squash THEM.

And then it was her turn.

"_**Well, another enigma like your adoptive mother…clever enough for Ravenclaw, dutiful enough for Hufflepuff, brave enough for Gryffindor with Slytherin family and your own brand of ambition…"**_ said the hat.

"_**Hey, don't confuse me with the facts; I already made up my mind**_" thought Jade facetiously _**"I want to be Slytherin, please, because of friends and family. Besides, there's my favourite ghost the Bloody Baron, who'd be disappointed if I wasn't, and it's my duty to help pull the House back to what it's supposed to be."**_

"_**Ah now that is ambition worth having"**_ the Hat approved and said out loud "Slytherin!"

The response over Seaghsron, also surnamed Snape, was much quicker; and he too was in Slytherin.

"Took its time over you our kid" Romulus was teasing Jade.

"Huh, she was probably talking it to a standstill" said Seagh, grinning at Jade.

"He knows me too well" said Jade "We had a nice little chat."

"Only you or Krait would ever consider having a chat with the Sorting Hat" said Hawke.

"Well maybe it's occasionally glad of a bit more social interaction than just figuring out the mental ramifications of whoever sits under it" said Jade with what she hoped was dignity.

In terms of dignity, Fenella Fenwick almost lost it.

The idea that she should sit on a stool with a 'dirty old thing like that' on her head 'with who knows what lice and things from some of those brats' had her almost hysterical.

Madam McGonagall lost her temper with the girl first.

"If yer wishfu' to take NEWTs young lady, I suggest ye act wi' the decorum proper tae a girrl of a'most seventeen years old, not like a wee bitty sumpf nae more than fourr or five years old" she said "Ye'll dae as ye're told, or be expelled; and then ye'll nae be perrrmitted tae tak' NEWTs at a', even wi' the half-baked teaching ye've been getting up tae noo."

Fenella seethed; but did, sulkily as she was told.

McGonagall's fans declared they had never heard her so Scots, so this wretched girl MUST have moved her greatly! They happily stored away the phrase 'wee bitty sumpf' for future reference.

Fenella was duly Hatted into Ravenclaw where she was received with mixed feelings and the muttered belief from Byron Beckard, also Lower Sixth, that it was only on grounds of family affiliation since her father was a famous arithmancer rather than ability.

The new intake too were dismayed; and with several unwontedly cheery and cheeky faces among them David suspected Fenella was in for a hard time.

Her lessons in being a reasonable human being might prove harsh.

"And now I have the happy duty of announcing the Head of the School" said Professor Dumbledore, opening the sealed jar into which the prefects had cast their votes. The magical receptacle had already listed possible choices and recorded how many had voted for them. "Hmm, well, once again we have an overwhelming majority vote, thirty to six in fact, and I take pleasure in announcing David Fraser as Head Boy!"

David gasped.

Not just that he had been chosen – but that it had been so overwhelming a majority! Willow caught his eye and grinned with a thumb's up – had she been talking about him then? He almost stumbled up to receive the little tin badge with 'Head Girl' on it, the word 'Boy' appearing in place of the word 'Girl' as he took it. Magic was wonderful!

Dumbledore smiled at him.

"I couldn't have picked a better Head Boy if I'd been at that meeting with Polyjuice Potion" he said quietly.

"Th-thank you sir" said David and escaped back to his seat amidst thunderous applause.

Dumbledore went on,

"Like another recent Head Boy, Draco Malfoy, David is only in the Lower Sixth; and like Draco I am confident he will give us two excellent years in office" he began. "David has always been a boy you can rely on to get things done; not just when asked to, but to see a job that needs doing and to quietly, without fuss, get on and do it. His self-imposed task of making sure that everyone gets on the right train is a case in point; his loyal and unfailing support to both Draco and Ginny when they were heads is another. He was from the first year a staunch supporter of Harry Potter and his mission to destroy Voldemort; he was one of the leaders in the battle against the Huorns and led a squad staunchly and without flinching against the troop of werewolves in the Battle for Hogwarts. He has been quietly and efficiently at the forefront in the fight against evil; and although it is perhaps more mundane, it is of more import as a school head that he has always and unfailingly been kind to new children and helped little ones in distress whatever the reason. I can urge any of you new ones who have a problem to take it to David; he has an instinct that tells him whether to make anything official or keep it informal and he is there – as too are all the prefects – as an intermediate stage between the body of the school and the staff. Reporting something to a prefect that disturbs you is not like sneaking; for a prefect should have attained the wisdom and experience to decide whether such a problem requires official action or no. And the prefects of course can also turn to David Fraser for help and advice if they do NOT feel they have the experience to deal with a problem yet are loath to call in a staff member. We have been lucky, unbelievably lucky in the last few years over our Heads of School; and once again we are fortunate, and I applaud the wisdom of the prefects in choosing the only member of the combined sixth that I feel worthy of the headship."

Willow was whispering to Hawke

"What wankers voted against him?"

"Ravenclaw wankers, who else?" hissed Hawke back "Partiality not sense, how typical!"

"And thank you the David Fraser appreciation society in Slytherin; ten points away I'm afraid for that audible exchange" said Dumbledore.

Willow and Hawke squirmed.

For prefects to lose points for their house was particularly humiliating. As it was also not customary to fine prefects points the rebuke was a harsh one.

They were too old now to make asides like juniors; and Dumbledore wanted to make that point clear.

The point was also made, in some respects, that now they were in the fifth it behoved the marauders to do more work than marauding; which, in point of fact, they had planned on doing. The marauding was to be left to the tender mercies of Lynx Black-Weasley, Fabian Ramage, Senagra gan Konal and Jade Snape.

And with such an effervescent bunch the New Marauders had no qualms that the Junior Marauders would be able to carry the marauding flag more than adequately.

Professor Dumbledore had one more announcement.

"We have a new member of staff to temporarily replace Professor Dweemer; I'm sure you'll all think kindly of Professor Dweemer whose mother is seriously ill; and also I ask you to give your best efforts for Madam Jones. She has asked me to ask you to be tolerant if there are times when she has trouble with magic; I'm sure some of you older ones remember Araminta Jones, a bright star in Ravenclaw's academic constellation, and will feel sympathy for anyone who has suffered so serious a brain fever that their connection with magic has become temporarily tenuous. Madam Jones is hoping that a quiet academic atmosphere with less stress than day to day living will help her to develop her talents to a more normal level; and there will be no detriment to your studies, since her academic knowledge and understanding of her studies is quite unimpaired."

David had never admired Professor Dumbledore so much perhaps as at that moment, save when he had revealed the tragedy of his sister. With smooth conviction he had implied without actually saying so that 'Araminta' Jones had suffered a debilitating illness. He had not even claimed her as Araminta, just recalled Araminta to the minds of the older students. David did not himself remember her; but he saw several of the older Ravenclaws murmuring and nodding and casting looks that ranged between the compassionate to the pitying at Madam Jones. It explained her lack of magical ability so cleverly! And it was much, much better than trying to cover for someone who had been so bright a star, as Dumbledore put it. And it was true that in the light of the way Krait had shown that even squibs could learn sometimes that Madam Jones might hope to develop her talents indeed!

David only hoped that, if he was teaching for the rest of his life, as seemed not impossible, and certainly a gratifying thought, one day he might be half as wise as Professor Dumbledore.

It was at least something to strive for.

And in the meantime he had to strive for the good of the school as Head Boy and try to do as well as Draco and Ginny; and that meant (and at this he groaned out loud) trying to make sure Fenella Fenwick shook down properly without causing too many troubles with her self righteous ignorant self assurance!

Well, Draco had turned Martin Umbridge into a decent character.

And that was another thing.

The Porteous girl might be somewhat subdued, together with her cronies, not to mention being tied up in their NEWTs; but in his own year were Baddock and Pritchard, Slytherin bullies who had laid low under Draco, sucking up to him being a Malfoy, but who had started to try to make make their bullying felt over the last year. Ginny had dropped on it when she had seen it; and the marauders – new and junior – had responded in kind. But now it was HIS responsibility to see them kept toeing the line. And see that they did not get any of the new intake in Slytherin following their lead. Though that was largely Emmeline's job; and for that she was more than capable. And she would have no hesitation, if she was having trouble, of using the marauders as a weapon.

And with their new favourite jinx that came under the title of a weapon of mass eruction…


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The fifth were brewing polyjuice potion for Professor Snape; an easy matter for the marauders who had used their own supplies of boomslang skin – purchased by bribing Jark, Lucius Malfoy's chauffeur to get it for them – for their own nefarious purposes on various occasions.

The lesson did not go smoothly for everyone however.

Davenport had a fancy to be David Fraser for a while and had gathered hairs from David's sweater rather than trouble the new head boy by asking.

Unfortunately the hairs he had gathered were from a semi-feral Kneazle which had set up home in the castle several holidays before - Alice Trumball among others had one of her kittens – and who had taken a liking to David, the only person she would permit to touch and pet her. This only really caused a problem when the Gryffindor Quidditch team wanted to play and needed their team robes since the robe cupboard was where she chose to live; and had in fact given birth in there several times leading once to the necessity to wear a scratch uniform since even David was not allowed near her kittens for a few days.

Davenport did not know this however and was mightily distressed to have his face become orange-striped and furry.

The marauders did at least howl with kindly laughter and promptly christened him 'The Librarian' claiming that he looked like the orang-utan librarian from Terry Pratchett's Discworld stories.

What stuck however was the more utilitarian soubriquet of Chewbacca.

The first intimation David had that Fenella had continued to irritate her housemates was when the jar of sludge balanced on top of the door fell on him not Fenella, whom he had overtaken on the corridor.

David sighed, rapidly cast cleaning spells to rid himself of the smell and looked about for culprits.

"THIS is one reason I did not want to come to school" said Fenella "The puerile childishness."

"Puerile childishness has its place, Fenella" said David "When little kids get to combine and work off their puerile childishness generally they get it out of their systems. Otherwise it can fester, and there's nothing so childish as a childish adult."

"I wouldn't know; I've NEVER been childish" said Fenella.

"No? I'd have said your attitude was incredibly childish" said David "You always give the impression of sticking out your tongue and claiming to be king of the castle, and in girl of seventeen I for one find it unbecoming. Now hurry along to arithmancy; you will perhaps have the goodness to explain to Professor Vector that I have been delayed by a piece of silly mischief."

"Oh certainly" said Fenella "If you don't think me too childish to relay a message!"

"If you take so childish a tone, I might well" said David grimly. "Don't bother then; I'll make my own apology."

When Fenella was out of sight, Mei Chang of Ravenclaw, a niece of Cho, and her cronies, Leonard Hitchins, descended from a disowned Black, and Mike Orde, emerged.

"Sorry Fraser" said Mei "You weren't the intended target."

"Look, she's got an awful father, from what I gather, who's taught her all this bunk about how wonderful she is; give her a bit of a break, huh?" said David.

"NOT when she's throwing her weight around like she's a prefect and ticks us off for cheek and threatens to report us when we point out that she's NOT a prefect" said Leonard, resentfully. "And we even were tactful in the way we did point it out!"

"Well…." David thought fast "Try to be at least a little more specific in who you're going to target, you may write me ten lines each in your best handwriting 'I will try for a little originality in my mischief and promise not to bore the prefects'."

They giggled and nodded.

It was a punishment but at least not so boring an imposition as some prefects had already set them. Prefects could only set up to twenty lines or half an hour detention; but it allowed a small measure of discipline without making a misdeed official. And clever prefects used a long poem as a single 'line' on more serious breaches of rules where more than twenty 'thou shalt nots' as prefect lines were sometimes known, were warranted.

In Arithmancy Professor Vector asked David, quietly as he apologised for being late,

"Why did Miss Fenwick tell me that she could not tell me where you were as she says you told her not to?"

"Oh dear" said David "How a clever girl can misinterpret the phrase, 'don't bother I'll make my own apology' I'm not sure, Madam Vector."

Madam Vector shot him a shrewd look.

"Well, you'll catch up" she said "It's the arithmancy of place; your favourite subject."

David brightened.

He had already read the text books to NEWT level on the subject – having borrowed Severus' copies – out of interest.

Fenella was looking superior and bored.

In Arithmancy she had some right to do so; it transpired that had been her only 'O' grade. She was being permitted to take only four NEWTs, Professor Flitwick not considering that an 'A' grade in charms sufficient to go on with it and demanding that if she wished to study further she might sit in on the OWL class and retake at the end of the year; and then he would see. Fenella had declined.

She might not have done so had she realised that she was also required to join the fourth years in both Potions and Transfigurations, since as Professor Dumbledore said it was no point her being an arithmancer if she did not comprehend the major applications of arithmancy. He had let her off studying DADA to OWL level however, and the private opinion of much of the lower sixth was that this was because any dark creature would flee rather than have her talk at it. Fortunately for Fenella these extra classes were both on Monday, and left her free to cover all of her other electives of Astronomy, Enchantment and History of Magic, on all of which she had achieved an 'E' grade. Dumbledore offered to arrange her timetable to fit in Herbology too if she wished; but Fenella had not been in a gracious mood and had refused, which she later regretted but had not the sense to realise than an apology for the grumps and a request to change her mind would have seen the staff going out of their way to accommodate her.

As it was she expected to shine in Arithmancy, and show up the Fraser boy. There were only a handful of NEWT level arithmancers, David the only Gryffindor, his Slytherin friend Wido Mordaunt and two Ravenclaws, Orla Quirke and Hugh Moonin. Hugh was musical like the two Goodchilds but liked the mathematical certainties of music as much as playing and used arithmantic calculations in conjunction with Professor Snape's Chanting and Ritual classes. David did not like Hugh; he thought him spiteful and self absorbed and so humourless he almost asked to be ragged. Orla was all right, a bit of a philosopher and inclined to take Vector at a tangent – David grinned at the pun – discussing esoteric points.

It soon became apparent that David was far and away the most talented arithmancer in the class with a feel for the subject that surpassed Fenella's. As this was her only star subject, and her father's subject too, Fenella was mightily put out!

Fraser was too good for her and it wasn't fair!

The idea of working harder rather than sulking about not getting what she saw as her fair dues was rather beyond Fenella's capacity as yet.

Fenella was still throwing her weight around and invaded a class of first years to tell them not to make so much noise while other people were trying to work.

"Look here, Fenwick" said Jade "If you were a prefect – which you're not – you might have some excuse for bawling us out, especially if this was a preparation period. But it isn't; it's leisure time and we're allowed to make as much noise as we want in wet leisure. In fact you're breaking the rules if you're trying to work in leisure time because 'growing bodies need leisure and pleasure as well as work to grow' as Madam McGonagall's always saying, only she says it more Scots than that. So please refrain from issuing orders that are not justified."

"You snotty little brat! Do you think you can make a fool of me with your snide attitude?"

"Not a bit of it" countered Jade "You manage to do that entirely for yourself and if that slap lands I shall retaliate."

Fenella dropped her raised hand. Somehow she realised that a chastisement to this cocksure brat would end in an undignified brawl.

"I suppose you think you're above the rules having a father teaching here" she sneered instead.

"Oh no! I know fine well I'd catch it harder if he caught me. But then, I've not broken any rules. The only person here who has is you – working in play time, interfering with younger ones and trying to initiate a fight" said Jade "Go away and try to get a life, will you? We're having fun here and you're a bore."

With that she turned her back deliberately on Fenella and resumed her top of the lungs conversation with her friends about the world cup. It was rude; and Jade knew it. But she also knew her rights. She had been at Hogwarts unofficially for longer than anyone but the sixth.

There had been some surprise over who HAD been chosen as prefects; some, notably Ravenclaws, expressed surprise that someone like Myrtle Carmichael who had not even been in the school a whole year should be chosen; and the Huffers retorted with more truth than tact that as Myrtle had been in the school longer than anyone and knew the peccadilloes of the parents and grandparents of most people she had more right to be prefect than anyone. As it was official Ravenclaw policy to deny that Myrtle was the same Myrtle who had once been a ghost this led to rather strenuous contretemps between many of the two houses; except Mei Chang and her gang, who asked Jade as a neutral and whose father was a Professor and therefore ought to know.

Correctly interpreting the query as serious and in the spirit of asking information, Jade gave an expurgated version of the ritual by which Abraxus had replaced Myrtle's spirit into her skeleton with the sacrifice of her parents' blood, freely given, and the flesh of his own hand.

"Which is why he has a marble one" said Jade "And as it's off a tombstone – Myrtle's actually – he can touch ghosts with it."

"Cool!" said Mei. "That's a wonderful story, I guess he's real brave and loves her such a lot!"

"Yeah" said Jade "Cousin Abraxus is one of the best. We had trouble with the ministry about it at first not that there's any laws against it, but they got upset because it was something that isn't covered in eight 'A' grade OWLs and three NEWTs obscured by a coffee stain to hide the grades that you require to get into the ministry."

Mei giggled.

"Isn't it us Ravenclaws supposed to be the intellectual snobs?" she said.

"Well we Snapes have always been intellectual snobs too, and our Prince cousins" laughed Jade. "You lot are all right; you ought to join the MSHG."

And after having had it explained, they did.

One reason being that Fenella Fenwick would probably disapprove of it; and any friendship with Jade whom she castigated as a cheeky, uncontrollable child.

As Jade was unfailingly polite to Ravenclaw prefects and even moderately polite to other Ravenclaw sixth formers she was met by her fellows with fishy stares that did nothing for her humour nor did it change her opinion.

Fenella was not the only self righteous prig in Ravenclaw.

Lisa Field had been Hatted into Ravenclaw and whilst she admired Mei Chang her audacity she also deplored lawlessness. She also adored being teachers' pet and had, unfortunately, gone to a school where sneaking was not discouraged.

Accordingly, when Sirius Black was grouching about having lost his pen off his desk – and concerned for the reason that Harry had bought it for him – she put up her hand and said,

"Professor, I was passing earlier and I saw that Dinalt boy fiddling about with your stuff."

"Did you now" said Sirius without sounding encouraging.

"Oh yes, Professor! I didn't think he ought to have been in your office at the time" said Lisa.

"It didn't occur to you to ask I suppose?" said Sirius. "No, I thought not…. I am grateful for a lead if young Dinalt has tidied up after me, but I don't like your tone, Miss Field; it smacks of joy at getting others into trouble and there are some rather nasty names for that. I don't know the customs in muggle schools of today but I understand in the school stories some of the older ones are addicted to, sneaking is not looked upon favourably; any more than it is here. I'm not really telling you off; just offering a friendly warning to shape up."

"What was I supposed to do?" said Lisa.

"Well, I'd think that if you said you'd seen someone at my desk and you would ask if they had seen my pen, that would apprise me that you knew a potential miscreant – or overly helpful near relative in Dinalt's case – and that you'd see about warning them to come to me of their own accord."

"Oh" said Lisa doubtfully. "I see; I think."

"Good girl" said Sirius, rarely irritated for long.

Sirius went in search of Ed.

"Ed, have you been at my desk?" he asked.

Ed blinked.

"No sir" he said

"Someone says she saw you."

"Well someone was lying then – or mistaken" said Ed, then laughed. "Willow's growing out her dandelion look, she's got hair a bit like a demented haystack right now like mine and cousin Severus. Maybe it was her."

Sirius brightened, though reflecting that Severus' hair might be long but rarely could it be described as a demented haystack; especially as he generally tied it back in a ponytail nowadays to teach.

"That's more than likely" he said "Sorry to doubt you lad."

Ed shrugged.

"It looks bad if a witness puts me somewhere I wasn't" he said "Thanks for trusting my word without needing legilimensy."

"I trusted Severus too little when he was your age" said Sirius "The mistake can be rectified in the next generation."

He sought out Willow

"Padfoot" said Willow accusingly "You left your pen on the desk again, some idiot will walk off with it if you're not careful."

"Where did you put it dear?" asked Sirius mildly, not bothering to rebuke her for calling him Padfoot in school.

"In the drawer of course" said Willow, patiently "In the box I bought you for keeping pens and penknives and things in. Don't tell me, you never looked there?"

"What, look for something in its proper place? What do you take me for, a Ravenclaw?"

Willow laughed.

"Oh Padfoot, it's true, Gryffindors never do grow up…. I do love you, you know, but sometimes you exasperate me a little."

"That's all right" said Sirius "Sometimes the feeling is mutual." He was so glad to have the matter sorted out! And to know it was just his fiancée being tidy, and no theft.

oOoOo

After school had been back a week or so Professor Dumbledore had an announcement to make.

"This year it has been decided to run the Triwizard competition again; as it is five years since the last one. This year however, although Hogwarts has been asked to host the competition again, the other contestants will only visit for a brief time around each actual competition. The Goblet of Fire will be set up tomorrow, with the usual age line to prevent anyone under seventeen from entering. Now I know some students have discussed ways around this" he smiled genially at both groups of New Marauders on their respective tables "And I wish to assure you that house elves are precluded from putting in any name but their own; tortoises cannot cross the age line whether they are attached to fishing rods or not; and fishing rods on their own certainly will not work. Ageing potions have been shown at the last competition to be utterly ineffective and as to the most ingenious solution, suggested as an academic exercise by a past pupil who is now Madam Malfoy, I assure you that Professor Snape has locked up most carefully the ingredients required for such a er, concatenation of potions. Security has been tightened to prevent the placing in of a name other than the person doing the placing. However the rule has been relaxed a little to permit anyone whose seventeenth birthday falls before the end of the competition to enter providing they have their guardian's permission which must be written and attached to the recipient's name. I hope that is clear enough."

"Pellucidly sir!" called out the marauders in unison. If he was going to borrow one of Severus' favourite words, so were they.

David's heart hammered. He would be seventeen within the time period. And Albus was looking at him and smiling; did he want HIM to enter? It would be another moral victory over Durmstrang, a muggleborn, a mudblood if he could win…..Krait had waxed long on the futility and idiocy of the competition, but much of her objection had been to the interruption to education of having extra people around, as well as to the foolishness of the tasks…..

"Are you entering, David?" Lysistrata Attercop whispered.

"I don't know" he found himself saying "It can be er, a demented display of imbecility devised by the certifiable to entertain the moronic."

"That sounded distinctly Snapeish" she said "Of course, he's your guardian, isn't he? Will he forbid it?"

"It's a Kraitism, which comes close enough" said David, absently. "I don't know."

It was Fenella Fenwick who finally made David's decision for him since she was busy sneering about the whole concept of the contest, and indeed about any competition at all.

"Your feeble and futile preoccupations with quidditch and duelling and this triwizard nonsense is perhaps all very well for the uneducated masses" she was saying to a group of outraged and disbelieving third years "But really, the only competition that is valid in life lies in the academic prizes available. Any idiot can play quidditch – and many do; that fellow Krumm they make such a fuss about looks half witted after all."

David strode up.

"Beat it you kids" he said.

"Wonder why" muttered one of them as they obediently if resentfully filed off.

"Because Fraser's too fair to bawl out a sixth former in front of us kids of course, idiot!" said Lionel Dell scornfully and with perfect truth.

Fenella sneered.

"And you're in favour of mindless thuggish competition I suppose Fraser?"

"I'm in favour of games to keep bodies fit as well as minds; 'cos you couldn't manage a five hour examination in YOUR physical state so you haven't a hope of taking the top academic prizes on offer" said David. "And I happen to know that Viktor Krumm has a sight more than six lousy OWLs with only one 'O' so I guess if he's half witted that makes you positively sub normal. You judge too quickly. If we hadn't practised duelling, we'd not have been able to fight Voldemort and his cohorts; and that you CAN't explain away, because most of the grown ups were too busy panicking to do anything practical; and if your father had even come up with some practical arithmantic charts about bad times for Voldemort that would have shown willing; even though we did perfectly adequate ones ourselves. As for the triwizard competition, it may very well be a demented display of imbecility devised by the certifiable for the entertainment of the moronic, as Krait Malfoy put it – Madam Malfoy to you when she comes back to teaching – but it's also an opportunity to keep an eye on the youngsters of Durmstrang that long to be the next Gellert Grindelwald; you have HEARD of him, I hope with your history of magic, even if the syllabus only goes up to the end of last century?"

"There's no suggestion any of the Durmstrang students feel like that."

"Oh? What else do you call using unforgivable curses in an interschool duelling match?" said David.

"Surely not… you have heard exaggerated tales" said Fenella, looking superior.

"Kiddo, I was THERE on the team" said David, quietly. "I SAW what happened, how both the cruciatus curse and the Killing Curse were attempted. I took third place, as it happens, out of the eighteen contestants."

"Who won then? Harry Potter I suppose?" she was shaken that this was something he had seen; her father had always pooh-poohed the alleged danger of alleged dark wizards.

"He and Draco drew first place" said David quietly. "And one reason we were invited was so that certain dark wizards could test out if Harry really was immune to the Killing Curse by encouraging a hot headed student to cast it at him. Life isn't pretty outside your academic bubble, my girl; and physical needs are as great as academic ones. Because I run every morning I can sustain spells longer. And I was going to refuse to enter the triwizard because I thought it silly; but by talking to you I realise that it has its place, and so I shall ask my guardian if I may enter. And if he says yes, then I shall because somebody has to be ready to stand up to the Durmstrang crowd."

"Yet you speak as if this Krumm is your friend."

"Not all Durmstrangers are bad types" said David "I got on well enough with most of them; most of them are just ordinary kids like the rest of us. It's the ones who are easily encouraged er, down the dark path we have to watch. And maybe they can be turned from it. Not that you care about how to try to keep the peace in the wizarding world, so long as you have your ivory tower you're quite happy because the sufferings of others are of no interest to a selfish stuck up little prig like you who will be childishly happy sulking over her imagined wrongs and gloating over her supposed abilities for the rest of her life. Please don't breed; one generation of you is one too many. Besides, I'm told it's messy, painful and undignified and I'm sure that's beyond someone of your academic attainments as pain and toil are only for the er, uneducated masses."

Fenella was white with fury.

"You are deliberately insulting!" she hissed.

"Yes" said David "You go out of your way to put down everything we consider important here; and you will not take hints, so I find I have to be blunt. You make it clear you don't want to be here and dislike everything about school; let me tell you, we don't want you and we dislike you too. The difference is we have been trying to make an effort for you. I even told some juniors you'd been pushing around to give you a break and not try to play tricks on you and give you a chance. I'm beginning to wish I hadn't bothered. And Fenella! I'm STILL willing to try to help you fit in if you'll only drop all this silliness!"

"How generous! How magnanimous! The great, the wonderful, the universally loved David Fraser is willing to help me to make myself into a freak and a puerile brat like all the others who worship him! I don't think so!" she almost spat.

David almost flinched.

"You seem to have a remarkably odd idea about both me and the rest of the school" he said coldly "And I say again; the one who needs to grow up and stop being puerile is you LIONEL DELL ARE YOU EAVESDROPPING ON ME? COME HERE!"

Dell came out sheepishly.

"How did you know, Fraser?" he asked.

"Because the stinksap you got on yourself in herbology is still attendant about your person" said David. "Write out for me five times Hamlet's soliloquy, the one that begins 'to be or not to be' and ending at 'or by opposing end them' and consider most carefully the words and whether or not you wish to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous Fraser."

Dell grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry Fraser" he said.

"Apologise to Fenwick as well for eavesdropping and consider your feelings if a first year weevil were listening now." Said David.

Dell pulled a face.

"All right… I apologise, Fenwick" he said

"Do you think I care?" said Fenella.

"Adults are usually gracious in the face of an adequate and genuine apology" said David coldly "You are NOT improving my opinion of you."

"As if I cared for your opinion!" cried Fenella "What are you, some jumped up kid who's got an attack of megalomania because you have a head boy's badge, that's all!"

"You are ignorant, aren't you?" raged Dell "Fraser has FOUGHT the scariest and worst wizards in the world, he's stood there and faced out werewolves, I SAW him killing werewolves and you treat him like some stupid kid no older than me? You're the stupid kid Fenwick and we all laugh at you because you're so stuck up and childish and I'm sorry Fraser but I'm NOT going to apologise because I'm not sorry!"

"I think you'd better leave and cool down" said David "And add a sixth repetition to that imposition too."

Dell nodded.

"Yes Fraser" he said.

David pretended not to see the surreptitious wand work as Dell left.

He recognised the patterns of the fluorescent fart jinx; and it was a nice piece of work to have learned to cast it wordlessly.

"I too will leave" he said coldly "I have nothing more to say to you, Fenwick, until you can acknowledge how disgusting it is for a girl your age to act like a kid Dell's age. Good day to you; I need to get my temper under control too." And he strode off.

This was a surprise to Fenwick who had thought David Fraser too dim to take offence at anything. The concept of self control was also an alien one to her.

David went to see Severus in the evening.

"I wrote out my permission if you want to enter" said Severus before David could speak.

"Do you think I ought to, Domine?" asked David, gravely. "I know you and Krait had grave reservations before…."

"Partly that was because of Harry" said Severus "No, I'm not sure if it's a great idea as a competition; but it exists and to refuse it sends a message to Durmstrang that would be misconstrued as cowardice; and we can't afford that. If Hogwarts can win it every five years for a few years, perhaps Durmstrang will get the message and stop insisting on it, hmm?"

David chuckled.

"If our champion wins."

"You will" said Severus "I have every faith in you."

"That assumes the goblet chooses me" said David. Severus looked at him directly.

"Madam Spikenard asked Dumbledore to get the rules stretched to be able to include you" he said "She wouldn't say why, just that 'David would know what to do when he had to do it'; which Albus took to be significant."

"Ooer" said David "I don't much like being the subject of a prophecy."

"Not exactly a prophesy; Madam Spikenard would, I think, consider anything like that too unverifiable" said Severus dryly "Which is why I'm more inclined to believe HER than Powerless Polly – uh, Madam Trelawney. Madam Spikenard used to be an insurance assessor remember; they demand sixty per cent accuracy for that job and she was reckoned seventy five per cent accurate."

"Why did she leave to teach?" asked David.

"Her husband, with whom she worked – he had trained her – died and she left the office" said Severus "But she found that without a job she brooded; and when the Divination job came up here she leaped at it. She gets to see more of her grandchildren here too, I believe" he grinned "Through teaching them. Anyway, she wanted you in the competition; and I have to say, that's good enough for me too."

David nodded.

"And good enough for me" he said. "I was going to ask if I might out of sheer fury; but if I tell you, it's right off the record as David to Severus."

Severus nodded.

"Let off steam lad; it's what your guardian is really here for. You don't NEED a guardian, nor have you for years; but every man needs a father figure. Mine is Albus."

David nodded.

"Dad would have liked you" he said; and proceeded to tell Severus about his little spat with Fenella Fenwick.

"That girl is the end" said Severus "She just sulks in my class; and it's a really bad example to set the younger ones. I've taken her to task over it after class, but all she does is say she didn't ask to be put in the class. She HATES being called childish though; and if you've also taken her to task over it I can see why. I've got to the point where I am seriously considering poisoning her so she has to do some work to find an antidote!"

David laughed ruefully.

"What else can you do with someone who won't work, eh?"

"Exactly! She's what they call a bump on a log – it doesn't do anything actively bad, but it's in the way and you can't push it off. I never understood the expression before, but now I've met one!" said Severus in exasperation. "Not all my best sarcasm will move her! At least the fourth are a decentish bunch of kids – apart from Cleon Tench who's a nasty little piece of work – and are horrified by her; if she was in the fifth with Parnassus….oh dear!"

"We'll just have to get over heavy ground lightly I guess" said David "And I'll try to avoid her if she's not actively upsetting the kids. Which will be easier to do if I'm also taking part in this competition because I'll have my work cut out juggling it, and work, and being head boy."

"If it's too much I'll tell Madame Spikenard so"

"No, I'll manage….especially if we don't have Durmstrangers creeping around all term" said David cheerfully. "I'm just glad you approve."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Fenella Fenwick managed to annoy the first again by asking Gerald Purbeck curiously if he found it more convivial living with human beings.

Gerald linked.

"I've always lived with human beings" he said.

"Oh I beg your pardon, my child, I thought you were muggleborn" said Fenwick. Gerald stared open mouth for a moment then found his voice.

"How DARE you, you blood snob!" he shouted.

"I'm not a blood snob, you rude child!" said Fenella "I don't care about your unfortunate antecedents, I just wondered how it was possible to develop with animals who can't hold a conversation."

Several people jumped on Gerald as he was about to launch himself on Fenella. One of them Jade. She looked coldly at Fenella.

"I believe that you are truly not aware of the offence you are causing, Fenwick" she said "And I'm prepared to believe you really don't know that muggles are actually as intelligent as wizards; because it's not taught. Magic is a gift; like music. And I bet you'd be peeved if the Goodchild twins started on you being inferior because you can't read a note of music. I notice you have courtesy towards the few house elves one encounters; and I give you credit for that. And I give you credit for asking a genuine question of Gerry; but I think you owe him an apology for suggesting his parents are in any way mental defectives. Intelligence is independent of magical talent; and I should know, I know enough muggles. I take it you do realise that we have the first goblin students here and it goes a long way to help them settle their grievances with society?"

"Why would they have grievances?" asked Fenwick.

"Oh my sainted aunt Fanny!" groaned Jade "I thought you studied History? Don't you think the unfairness inherent in the system that led to the goblin wars might just leave them a teensy bit resentful?"

"But they had to be put in their place, as they are plainly inferior to humans" said Fenella "And need protecting and treating with courtesy, yes, as elves do; elves are loyal to us and we must be loyal to them, but goblins tell lies and are treacherous."

"Well that's nonsense!" said Jade "It's propaganda put about to be able to put them down the better! As for inferior, Kinat stands near the top of his class in most subjects, so chew on that! You really have got to stop talking out of your hat over subjects you know nothing about; I don't mind putting you right when you are trying to be decent – even when it does go wrong – because that's cool and Gerry's willing to accept you just didn't know, aren't you Gerry?"

"If she apologises for calling my folks animals" growled Gerald.

Fenella might have apologised but for her dislike of Jade and the little girl's unconsciously superior manner – copied from her parents and Lucius and her favourite cousin Draco – and she scowled.

"I see no reason to apologise for a genuine misunderstanding" she said loftily.

"Well, don't expect me to try to be nice again then" said Jade.

"Or me to think of YOU as human" said Gerald "'Cos you're not. You're just an arithmancy machine that's not got any decent human feelings, you. And you aren't even as good at arithmancy as David is, Wido says. Wido says you make a song and dance about everything like a chicken laying an egg and when you've finished clucking it's still likely got feathers and shit on it."

Fenella went to hit him and Jade blocked her with one arm.

"You dare" she said. "There are witnesses too."

Fenella stalked off.

She had also continued to annoy Mei and her cronies, by her patronising attitude and now she warned them not to have anything to do with that nasty child Jade Snape.

"It's none of your business who we're friends with, Fenwick" said Mei truculently "And since you know everything and you know nowt, if you recommended me not to get to know VOLDEMORT I'd invite him to tea, 'cos your say so is worth nothing."

"You are insolent! Do me ten lines of – of 'I must not be rude to my elders!" said Fenwick.

Mei laughed.

"Do me a favour! I see no prefect badge yet, Fenwick, you CAN'T hand out lines."

"I'll report you for insolence!"

"Who to? David Fraser? He knows the rules too. So does Emily Swan our House Head AND she thinks you're a git. Professor Flitwick? Oh he'll really listen to a petty piece of childishness from you I bet! We can be ticked off for insolence to the sixth but unless it's severe insolence we can't be given lines for it. Why don't you grow up? Then we might even listen to you."

It was a measure of how much Fenella had made herself despised that a first year should dare talk to a sixth former like that; but she had lost all their respect.

"I'll see you punished somehow!" she said.

They all gave her hoots of derision.

It so happened that later that day Peeves was making up rude songs about Fenella including ones of her own first years telling her where to go. Being Peeves the description was graphic.

David sent for Mei and friends and outlined a bowdlerised gist of Peeves' song.

"It wasn't quite that bad" said Mei. "We - I – told her to grow up because then we might listen to her. After telling her she couldn't set us lines I think it's too bad that she lied to you about us!"

"My source wasn't Fenwick" said David. "You will each write her a note of apology for speaking out of turn to a member of the sixth however great the provocation; I don't want cheek to spread to the way you speak to other sixth formers so you'll behave with due circumspection towards her position whatever you think of her personally. No she's not a prefect, she has no rights over you; but she has the right of her age to be given some courtesy. And you were overheard; and that sets a bad example to others."

"Oh. Sorry Fraser" said Mei "Who overheard us and tattled and exaggerated so?"

"Peeves. Who else? And when we have foreign visitors do you want them thinking Hogwarts is a bear garden full of children who are rude to their elders?"

"No Fraser. Sorry Fraser" said Mei, chastened. Her uncle Cedric was the joint champion with Harry Potter from the previous triwizard; and she knew he took it seriously and would hate the foreigners looking down on the school.

Being made to write an apology to someone she despised still rankled; and as she said, if Fenwick COULD have exaggerated to David Fraser she probably would have done.

They settled in the end for apologising for public insolence to a sixth former since her advanced age should be worthy of respect and that they apologised for not respecting her age.

It made her sound like a middle aged professor; but Fenella saw nothing wrong in it, nor did she get the hint that they were still rebuking her through the apology. She took it all at face value and told them patronisingly that she forgave them.

Naturally enough they wanted revenge for that!

Mei put in an order to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes straight away.

Fenella Fenwick had never experienced an apple pie bed before; and managed to rip the sheet in her frustration. When Dormitory mate and Head of House Emily Swan asked irritably what all the to-do was about Fenella complained that her bed was cursed.

Emily came to see; immediately divined the reason for her trouble and laughed – not unkindly – at Fenella, demonstrating what had happened.

"You'll have to leave the torn one out for the elves tomorrow" she said "Their mending spells are superior. Kids, eh?"

"It is a monstrous thing to do to frighten someone like that!" cried Fenella.

"Oh come off it – it's just a practical joke, just laugh it off!" said Emily, who was a fairly happy-go-lucky girl for a Ravenclaw "Monstrous? Now that's just a silly adjective! Get over it do you idiot, do you WANT the little ones to hear the din you're making and realise you're so easy to rag?"

"But why should they rag me?"

Emily sighed.

"How about because you go out of your way to make yourself unpopular, especially to the kids, with you unwarranted interference?" she said.

"I don't interfere! All I do is to try to point out to them better ways to do things, and to tell them when they need a hint about their behaviour!"

"Unwarranted interference" repeated Emily "You don't even know how to do things yourself, you have no right to tell others how to go on, and as for interfering in their behaviour, when Hogwarts decides the kids need a nagging maiden auntie of uncertain age I expect they'll get one. Now shut up and go to sleep."

Fenella even made easygoing Emily lose her cool.

That there were several 'Hear Hear's from behind other curtains did NOT improve Fenella's own exacerbated temper or feelings of being hard done by.

Being treated to shouts of laughter next morning as the black-face soap took effect made it worse. She threw the soap from her and washed in plain water – once it had been explained by more knowledgeable young witches – weeping tears of rage and humiliation.

She was certain she knew who had done this.

And she went to take her revenge.

oOoOo

Jade was going about her morning business – having helped clean up the showers in Myrtle's loo after the morning run – and was startled to have her arm suddenly grabbed and twisted behind her back.

"What the…Fenwick what DO you think you're up to?" demanded Jade angrily.

"You rotten little kid! How dare you do monstrous things to my bed and curse my soap to turn my face black?" cried Fenella.

"What? Talk sense, Fenwick, you're in Ravenclaw tower, I'm a Slytherin, how am I supposed, without a lot of effort, to have gotten into your room and set you an apple-pie bed and blackface soap? Frankly, you're not worth that much effort!"

"That's a confession! You know the words!"

Jade gave a short, bitter laugh; her arm was in some pain.

"Of course I know the words; EVERY kid does! All normal kids have had their youngers set an apple-pie bed for them, my kid sister's done it to me, and any kid who's been in Diagon Alley has found Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and their range of muggle tricks – like blackface soap! It's a bit passé actually, it was all the rage last year but only a real moron's going to be caught out by it now, 'cos the feel is distinctive!" she fought off wincing as that brought another twist.

"Moron eh? Well I know it was you and I'm not letting go until you confess properly and then we'll see what Professor Dumbledore thinks of a kid who does things like that!"

"I'm not confessing to something I hadn't done; anyone will tell you I always admit my misdeeds!" said Jade "And as for Professor Dumbledore, if anyone was stupid enough to take something so petty to him, he'd laugh at the joke and tell you to grow up and get a life you big bully, and likely YOU'd be in trouble for manhandling a little kid! So brave of you to pick someone who'd scorn to report you because of wanting to avoid being accused of running to my teacher daddy!"

"Huh, I'm not hurting you, if you were in pain, you'd soon squeal!" said Fenella, unused to the concept of stoicism. She twisted harder, more viciously.

Two things happened.

Jade slumped bonelessly away from her and Bloodgroup members started arriving with sharp TICs.

Fenella was set upon by several small children and house elves screaming that she was a bad lady; and Professor Snape, his eyes blazing with fury slapped her hard across the face and swept an unconscious Jade into his arms.

"But…if she was in pain why did she not cry out?" said Fenella bewildered.

"Never heard of pride or bravery?" snarled Severus "Give a bully the satisfaction of seeing that they hurt you? I don't think so. If my daughter's arm is so badly hurt she can't play quidditch again when she's just been made House seeker, or if my wife miscarries with the worry over this you are going to suffer!"

"Daddy? I didn't cry, like you and mummy didn't when HE used the cruciatus curse" said Jade, coming to.

"Of course you didn't, sweetheart… I'm taking you to St Mungo's now" and he apparated away.

"AND you nasty little bitch" said the suave voice of Draco Malfoy – whom even Fenella Fenwick recognised –" if MY wife miscarried due to the worry over her sister, or if my favourite cousin is hurt, you will wish that Severus Snape gets to you first because I'll see you in Azkaban for grievous bodily harm. I'm getting back to my wife now; Sirius, you'll deal with this animal?"

"Too right I will" said Sirius grimly. "Come on you! Sirri, take the little ones back to Krait, she must be climbing the walls!"

"She is!" squeaked Sirri "I told her to stay put, I'D see what was going on, but these ones had already gone!" she indicated Lydia, Mimi and Lilith.

Sirius scratched his head.

"Lilith?" he said in amazement "You're not old enough to apparate!"

"Mine sister was hurting BAD" said Lilith "I wanted to hurt the bad lady. Can I bite her?"

"No, she's Dumbledore's prey" said Sirius, rightly interpreting that as Lilith's intent to go snake. "Rule of law."

Lilith sighed and contented herself with putting out a forked tongue at Fenella, making the girl gasp and draw back.

"You're too big a girl to do that too" said Sirius firmly. Merlin's beard! If the Bloodgroup children of animagi were so talented rearing his and Willow's children was going to be….challenging!

Fenella was frightened.

Hogwarts was supposed to have a non-apparating zone around it but the moment that child passed out, huge numbers of people appeared out of nowhere, many of them too young to have apparating licences – some too young to even be using magic instinctively let alone be at school – and many of them hard faced and angry with scars blazing white. David Fraser was among them, looking at her with an expression of contempt and loathing; a look echoed on the Malfoy twins, their goblin friend, the skinny Slytherin games' captain, the Hufflepuff prefect girlfriend of one of the twins and her Malfoy-looking friend, David's friend Erich, that girl Willow, not to mention Professor Black, Professor Longbottom and four people she had never seen before, but one had been in the news….Harry Potter himself!

"What IS this creature, Padfoot?" demanded a red haired young man. Sirius shrugged.

"I have fortunately not had much to do with it" he said.

"It is an example of Stuckuppida knowitallus" said David "A proto-dark creature in that the harm it causes is out of ignorant malice not a genuine desire to hurt. It is a stupid creature, that lurks in libraries and apes the airs of the sophisticated without having any clue as to how to act in a normal way and therefore blowing its cover. Its greatest desire is to be taken for Hermione Granger but unfortunately it does not have the ability even to aspire to Hermetica Grudgeblood" he used the name Draco had given to Hermione in his Convolvumort sketches.

"Is Grace going to be all right?" asked Erich "Draco looked a bit frazzled; and I've been getting echoes she's not well. Hermie, you've seen them recently?"

Hermione nodded.

"Looks like the same as Krait; only maybe worse. We can go stabilise her in the holidays but Draco's easily flapped, as you know."

"Not as easily as he used to be" protested Ron "He's all right. Any man worries about his wife!"

"You do say the nicest things Ron" said Hermione demurely "I guess you have the bully well in hand, Padfoot and we can get about our lawful occasions?"

"Yes I should think so" said Sirius.

"You're a creep, you" said Harry earnestly to Fenella "We only felt her pain as she passed out from it and stopped blocking….you're like Voldemort and Bellatrix Black-Lestrange and I hope Dumbledore expels you! And then I expect one day Draco or I will be arresting you now we're fully fledged Aurors…. Is she over seventeen, Padfoot?"

"I believe so" said Sirius.

"Well I shall be coming to arrest you should Severus decide to press charges!" said Harry intensely. "Attacking a kid like that!"

"She made me an apple pie bed and black faced soap and she's insolent!" wailed Fenella.

"Apple pie bed? In Ravenclaw Tower? A Slytherin kid? How's she supposed to do that?" derided Harry "And she's a very polite kiddy! And even is she was cheeky, and had played tricks on you, that's NO excuse for a grown up girl to half twist her arm off! Are you insane to think you can hurt a babe like that so and get away with it?"

"I didn't know she was in pain! She never cried out!"

"Not know? Then why did you do it? You WANTED to hurt her, and that's not a position that's natural for an arm to be in…you're either lying in your teeth or more stupid than Mundungus Fletcher…..and that takes some doing! Well, good day to you Padfoot, call me in when you want her hauled off to Azkaban."

Fenella burst into tears.

The rest of the Bloodgroup who remained as Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione apparated away watched her stony faced.

"Neville, your little horrors will be playing merry hell in the dungeon if you don't get to them soon" said Sirius "And you'd better take the third years after break too, Severus isn't going to be in a state to do so, Krait's having contractions….My first years are missing me, Kinat, run to the Sixth form common room and ask for someone to cover for me…...and you youngsters, hoppit to classes, we'll keep you informed; David you come with me to Dumbledore, you've seen the most of this…. article. Are you going to miss a lesson?"

"No, sir, I've a free study day today" said David "Just as well; it's going to be hard to concentrate. You kids tell Minerva about Jade and Krait; she'll be lenient on you being preoccupied."

"Madam McGonagall to you youngsters" Sirius reminded them. "Tut, David, a lapse of protocol from YOU?"

"Difficult circumstances" said David. "Minerva won't mind. It's the intent of respect not the name."

Fenella was confined in the sick bay; where she was treated very coldly by Madam Pomfrey, who liked Jade Snape and disliked cold prigs, one reason she was always willing to believe ill of Severus for his cold manner and pedantic speech. It had led to something of a rift in the staff the previous year with the dangerous ritual to restore Myrtle; but Madam Pomfrey was having to admit that Abraxus seemed none the worse for it in himself and he and Myrtle were very sweet together. She was not the sharpest stick in the bundle, as Krait had said, and the friends of Severus tried to remember that and treat her with at least outward respect. She WAS after all a kind nurse to the sick. Fenella however was not sick, but as Sirius said 'here to be quarantined from decent folk' and Poppy Pomfrey, hearing the story was inclined to be very cold indeed.

Fenella was left to stew almost all day before Dumbledore came to see her.

The interview was long, and painful; and Fenella eventually cried herself to sleep.

Dumbledore convened the Blood Group in his office for tea.

"Goblins in my office even when there's not an emergency…. O tempora, o mores!" said Phineas Nigellus.

Draco stuck his tongue out at him.

"I've been wanting to do that for YEARS" he said "And now I'm not a pupil I can do so to my heart's content! My good ass, there's Goblin blood in the Malfoy family, and fey blood I expect you've a few similar incidents in your own family; the great and noble house of Black can't have produced someone as sane and rational as Padfoot if you'd not had some kind of decent hybrid in there, you'd have been as insane as the Gaunts…. Hey, and I'm half Black too, so I DO have a right!"

Phineas Nigellus spluttered angrily.

"That's Malfoys for you" said Hermione to Phineas Nigellus, for whom she had an inexplicable soft spot.

"In a way it is an emergency" said Dumbledore "And Draco, please as a favour to me, be nice."

"Yes sir" said Draco immediately. "Is Jade not going to be all right then?"

"She'll make a full recovery – if those of you around her do your usual blood group things" said Dumbledore "Else she might have had a weakness; bones are easy to mend, but a separated shoulder is sometimes inclined to leave a weakness. The emergency is that an unfortunate child like Fenella Fenwick can exist."

"Start talking very fast, Albus" said Sirius "And try to convince us about this 'unfortunate child' business. Because I saw a young adult torturing a very little girl."

"Bear in mind Sirius that she has no concept of any kind of self control; whether of anger or of hiding pain" said Dumbledore "She has had a most unfortunate upbringing by a reclusive father who, I would say, is not entirely sane. I have looked into the family background; and discovered that her mother died giving birth to a little boy who is due to enter Hogwarts next year; and that broke their father's mind, for he had leaned heavily on his wife."

"As losing Krait might very well do to Severus" said Sirius "And this girl's actions do not preclude this happening; Krait is almost seven months gone and we all feel her distress. Only Scales has the sense of responsibility to set it aside in the care of his children."

"And Fenwick devoted himself – in an introspective sort of way – to his daughter. His son he referred to as 'the abomination' and turned him over to the children's aunt, Fenwick's sister Gonneral Fenwick-Grant. Young Chad – the boy's name – has never been named in Fenella's hearing, and she has always thought the boy she thought of as her cousin and has never met must have something wrong with him as the only time he has been mentioned is when her aunt visited and she heard that awful description appended to him by her father."

"And when I think that both Severus and Krait were looking upon Lilith as a potential memorial each to the other if things went wrong…..!" exploded Sirius.

"Quite" said Dumbledore. "A man whose mind is definitely disturbed. And this is the background to our unfortunate girl…add to that his desire to bury himself in work and the fact that he only ever spoke to her in the pedantic way Severus cultivates to keep his distance from the youngsters, because he knew no other way, and only took an interest in her if she could produce calculations that he considered worthy….she was reared mostly by their house elf Tilly, who I think might have instilled some decent values in her underneath all the rubbish her father placed on top. Draco, you of all people know how far a child will go to get the attention of their father…."

Draco flushed.

"Yes" he said "And you are right, Albus; I was a dreadful child with wrong belief structures… her father has no such excuse mine did though, of being manipulated!"

"No; he did his own manipulation. The capacity for humans to fool themselves is immense, as you know it is how we are so easily able to persuade muggles that they have NOT seen something extraordinary because they do not WANT to have seen a dragon over a Welsh seaside resort, for instance. Wizards are no different in their capacity for self delusion. I believe I have got through to her; and David!"

"Sir?"

"I want you to be especially good and kind because I am thinking of moving her out of Ravenclaw where she has made nothing but enemies, into Gryffindor under your protection. I have spoken to the Hat about this and it is not unwilling. To go into Hufflepuff would, I fear, unfair as it is, open her to teasing from previous Ravenclaws; in Gryffindor, you can at least point out Hermione Granger as an example of a girl who surpassed Ravenclaws academically."

"She shouldn't be in Ravenclaw anyway in my estimation" said David "She's not good enough at the work."

"And THAT's only because her idiot father taught her only those parts of the subjects he found interesting" said Dumbledore "I recall him as a schoolboy; arrogant as Tom Riddle in his own way."

"Farty Fenwick? Yeah, I remember him!" growled Sirius "Stinky little swot!"

"Nothing wrong with being a swot" said David.

"He didn't have a life though" said Sirius "Scales was a swot but at least he loved quidditch…and recognised that girls existed for that matter. Recognised that Lily existed anyway…. I'm glad the New Marauders aren't such little beasts we sometimes were."

"We got to learn from your mistakes" shrugged Abraxus. "If she's to be a Gryff we'll look out for her for you, sir, of course; but I think she's going to find it hard to make us do it willingly without a full apology to Jade you know"

Dumbledore nodded.

"That's understood; and she wants to do so. She also volunteered to make an apology before the whole school for being heavy handed with all the little ones now she has a greater appreciation of what she has been like; this has frightened her into thinking hard, and David, my boy, she has been recalling all your conversations with her and trying to see what you meant. I have used the Penseive with her to examine her own actions and words from an outsider's perspective, and she has been shocked over how childishly she has been acting. She has managed to admit that not only were you in the right but that you were trying to help – at least initially before you lost your cool with her. And I have to say" he added as David flushed "I cannot see that you could have done any more, my boy, and that she was enough to try the patience of anyone. I hold you in no way responsible for any of her poor behaviour and largely responsible for her ability to start to look objectively at the way she has behaved. You acted well, David."

"Thank you sir; I felt I was failing with her, I even sounded off – unofficially – to Severus."

"And that helped you to cope better, I'm sure" smiled Dumbledore. "I pointed out to her that a personality clash and a failure to see what everyone else saw was not unusual; and that once misunderstandings were ironed out, friendships could arise. I wasn't specific" he glanced at Sirius and Harry "It's up to you two and Severus to tell her any small details if you feel the occasion warrants it."

"I don't think, even if we go out of our way to help you make her decent, we shall feel much like sharing things so personal" growled Sirius. "We don't have to forge a bond the way we had to forge one, us two and Sev for fighting Voldemort so I don't feel like forcing it. And Harry and Severus and I had hatreds between us; hate is close enough to love when you look at it. I merely despise this girl; and her father. I will try to learn not to dislike her, Albus; maybe I shall succeed. You ask much but we respect you enough to try, all of us."

"Thank you Sirius" said Dumbledore, simply.

Jade was back in school after a few days, complaining that she had missed some of her favourite classes; but she had gone first to the sick bay where Severus stood stony faces as Fenella stumbled through an abject apology.

"You haven't half been daft, Fenwick" said Jade "And if I'd not been able to play quidditch again, and had trouble writing because of permanent aches I'd have found it hard to forgive you, you know; but I'm allowed a self-writing quill for a few weeks to do my homework, and I've a brace to wear on my broom and this year's inter-house matches might not take place because of the stupid old Triwizard so it's not quite as pear shaped as it might have been. I don't know why you thought me a liar and assumed I was being cheeky when I was just trying to inform you things but I guess if you didn't understand it's like when Daddy though Harry was being cheeky when he was just being scared about being The Chosen One and all. I'm prepared to put it behind me, but I don't think I can shake on it with my right hand just yet" she added holding out her left hand. Fenella shook rather awkwardly but sincerely.

"She's a pedantic child, Miss Fenwick" said Severus "She gets it from her parents. Too many people see children with a pedantic turn of manner as being cheeky. If you'd come here at eleven doubtless you would have had a similar manner; and as Jade is being teased out of it by her peer group, so too would you have been. School is for social education as well as academic. Some people learn those lessons better than others; and those of us who got a low grade in the OWL of living are anxious for others not to make the same mistakes. I'll go out of my way to help you but I expect you to meet me half way."

"Y-yes, Professor I will try" said Fenella. He held her eyes; and nodded.

"Very well; you may come to me with any problems you have" he said "Informally and off the record if you wish. If you are to move houses, I dare say you may prefer to go to Madam McGonagall; but I will be there. I forgive you for hurting my little girl: I understand your internal turmoil more perhaps than you will ever know."

"Th-thank you Professor" said Fenella, suddenly thinking that perhaps he might be more convivial to go to with problems than to Professor McGonagall who did not trouble to hide her irritation. Nor had Professor Snape for that matter; but a man who could cuddle a little girl so tenderly was someone to trust. Fenella did not recall her own father ever cuddling her at all, though he was quite as snippy and sarcastic as Professor Snape; and her eyes filled with tears. Snape looked at her again; and patted her awkwardly on the shoulder.

"I know" he said, before leaving.

And somehow she knew that he did know!

Making an apology to the whole school for her heavy handedness towards the young ones, and her lack of understanding of how to behave in school was the hardest thing she had ever done.

She was surprised to be given remarkably warm applause by the first and second years; their inherent sense of fair play appreciated and acknowledged her bravery and willingness to accept a fault, and Fenella felt quite warm and emotional! David Fraser then led her to sit with the sixth on the Gryffindor table and the Gryffindor juniors clapped politely, if perhaps a little warily.

It felt good to have approval from people!

And Fraser had not once said 'I told you so', greeting her merely,

"Welcome to Gryffindor house, Fenella, we hope you'll be happy here with a new start."

Fenella was determined that it would be a fresh new start!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"I expect the Marauders ragged Cornelius Fenwick too; in fact I think I remember you doing it" said Severus to Sirius.

"He was a rotten swotty little prig… I expect we did. Are you blaming me for Jadie getting hurt because of the way that insane recluse brought up his daughter?"

"I only wondered if it hadn't helped…"

The conversation deteriorated at this point; both men had been emotionally involved over a much loved member of the blood group and both wanted to release an anger towards Fenella that would have been unfair directed at the girl. Sirius was moreover defensive, knowing that the Marauders had not behaved very well at all, jinxing people just because they could. They ended up screaming into each other's faces, purple and angry.

Then the scars throbbed

They dropped back ruefully; and looked into each other's faces. Then they were embracing and Severus was crying with relief that his little girl was going to be all right, that Krait had stabilised and so had Grace. Sirius hugged him hard.

"Brother, my brother, that was not good!" he gasped.

"No… I'm sorry Padfoot, I'm overwrought" said Severus. "David's going in for the Triwizard too – on Madam Spikenard's heavy hint – and of course I've that to worry about…"

"Sodding Triwizard" said Sirius "We'd have loved the idea when we were their age of course….hell, yes, we ragged Fenwick but no more than we ragged anyone else, especially Ravenclaws and Slythers, nothing like as much as we ragged you. And most of the people we ragged didn't turn into cloth-brained loonies."

Severus nodded.

"James had a cruel streak, which was odd, since he had so broad a streak of compassion for Remus… I too wish we could blood in Remus…. I think you were all cordially disliked and admired in equal measure. I guess Fenwick was enough like that to begin with, I get the impression Albus disliked him."

"Ya think? He described him to us, while you were with Jade, as being almost as arrogant as Tom Riddle in his way!"

"My mother was arrogant. So in his way was my father; she married him because, I suspect, she lusted after a big loudmouth who seemed self confident. Fenella hasn't had quarrels all her life but her memories of her mother involve her acting almost slavishly to her father…and yet Cornelius Fenwick fell apart when she died. He needed to be worshipped; and that's not a healthy relationship."

"No… it's what I half wondered if you had with Krait at first, you know."

"You did? No wonder you had reservations! Of course, there are parallels; in some ways Krait is the stronger of the two of us, I'd be lost if I lost her…. But there'd always be duty to keep me going until I might reasonably join her. And I suspect Sirri would also bully me….she's learned that from Krait quickly enough" he smiled tenderly.

"I'd disapprove if I didn't feel the way you manage to love her too through the Blood-link" said Sirius. "You're a great big softie, Scales."

"Shh, don't TELL anyone!" said Severus. "Consider if you please my reputation! I'd have to poison half the fourth to get it back, you know!"

Sirius laughed; and they went in search of a drink with their arms draped convivially about each other's shoulders.

oOoOo

Next week, the powder blue flying coach pulled by its massive palomino Abraxans diverted every lesson with a window looking out that way.

"….ah, here are the contestants from Beauxbatons, and Madame Maxime will be glad of volunteers to be drained of blood to feed her steeds, I shall take it that all those not in their seats by the time I count ten will have volunteered" said Severus.

The third giggled nervously and sat down in a hurry.

One could never be quite sure if Professor Snape was serious or not!

The Durmstrang Ship emerged from the lake at lunch time, when there was a maximum audience.

"Posey gits" said David.

"Wonder what calibre of opposition you'll have?" said Abraxus.

"Why are you assuming it'll be me?"

"Because you're the only real choice you idiot" said Hawke "WE didn't manage to get our names in, so you're the next best choice."

"Myrtle did" grinned Abraxus "She really IS over seventeen if you think about it; the name line kind of fizzed a little bit but it couldn't make up its mind if she was as old as her bones or as old as her flesh and gave up and let her with a dampish kind of 'squmph' noise.

"I bribed Peeves to try to put my name in – as he didn't, I thought, count as a human doing it for someone else – and then I had to bribe him more for being thrown out with a bang" said Kinat.

"We tried using paper aeroplanes, Abrax and me, but they caught on fire as they crossed the age line" said Hawke.

"I tried confunding it, like Barty Crouch did to get Harry's name in, but Albus had already thought of that one and I ended up thinking I was a tulip for about five minutes" said Romulus.

"It didn't like a ball of paper knocked in by cricket bat either" complained Willow.

"Did you hear that Cynner Strong nearly managed?" said Hawke, faintly outraged "She used a chanted confundment and danced, if she hadn't stubbed her toe she might have made it!"

"A third year? Preposterous!" said Abraxus, pompously.

"It was Lionel Dell's idea, apparently; he was discussing it and said it was a shame he didn't know any chanting, and Cynner said she'd picked some up and he dared her" explained Hawke. "Jolly enterprising I thought!"

"Dell's a rummun" said Willow "I never know if I like him or not."

"Fortunately he has a healthy hero-worship of our revered head boy and a healthy nervousness of the marauders" said Romulus "Between which two fires we should be able to keep him in order. I'd not have argued with him in the goblet of fire actually; he's got the balls to stick it. I think it'd be too much for the Cynner. Not that she's not got balls – metaphorically" he added as Willow gave him a Look "- but she's – well, Dell has the potential to be something rather special. Just a gut feeling."

"I put my name in; Dad said I could" said Erich "Just because; but David will be the one chosen. The competition is basically the upper sixth; and they have no luminaries that could hold a candle to David, with the possible exception of Martin Umbridge. And likewise, he and Abigail and Emmeline Greengrasse are the only ones who fought the battle of Hogwarts. Wet bunch if you ask me."

"Have the Greengrasse girls put their names in?" asked David.

Hawke shook his head.

"Abigail says she's got too much to do getting to know Salazar; and she also has plans for a certain male who she asked me advice about – alright, she didn't ask me to keep it from you lot, it's Alastor Moody. He spent a lot of effort trying to get her parents to accept what had happened to her, and helping her too last year; and she wanted to know about blood magic and curing cursed wounds to replace his leg. I gave her some fairly definitive instructions, all right?"

"After having hauled Myrtle out of the state of 'mostly dead yet' we could scarcely moan about other people wanting to help someone that they love, could we?" said Abraxus. "Hell, people, any one of us could take on the whole bunch from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons and whip there asses in any competition…..as could Jade, think on. They have to have an age line to avoid embarrassing the foreigners too often."

"Git" said David equably.

"Oh mighty Head boy I grovel before your rebuke!" said Abraxus, miming grovelling.

"Double git" said David.

David, as head boy, had already greeted Madame Olympe Maxime and her group of contestants; none were from the duelling team, all of whom had left school, but Madame Maxime was delighted when he asked about her nephew Hercule.

"Ah, you are ze one 'oo was just a leetle boy but so good at ze spelling zat 'e 'as told me about!" she said, throwing her arms around David to kiss him on each cheek. "Hercule 'e is doing very well, 'e 'as gone to work as a dragon 'andler in Romania wiz ze delightful Charle' Weasley, 'oo 'e say know you also!" she beamed "'Ave you put in your name? Are you old enough now? But you must be, if you are ze 'Ead Boy!"

"I'll fulfil the conditions by the end of the competition" said David "But my guardian gave me permission, so yes, I have entered."

It was a little disconcerting to be eyed up with bold and interested looks by the four female would-be contestants on the French team!

Greeting Agata Bacsó of Durmstrang was a stiffer, more formal affair; and it was plain that she too remembered him and had not yet forgiven the slight handed out to all her pupils of having a mudblood come third in the competition when her pupils had managed only to get their top duellist into the top eight.

This time she did not introduce her contestants by blood status.

One of the boys bowed to David.

"I remember you, I watched you duelling; you were so very good, I did not realise you were only our age" he said.

"You will have time to fraternise later Karl" said Madam Bacsó coldly.

"I apologise for any time wasting" said Karl instantly.

"Sit with me at Tea" said David "You'll do me a favour, I'm fleeing from several French girls right now,"

Karl smiled gravely.

"I should be honoured" he said.

Madam Bacsó looked sour.

"Of course, these French are so very undiscriminating" said a German girl "They do not even stop to find out blood status. I believe YOU are a mudblood?"

David smiled, hiding his feelings.

"Yes, I am fortunate so to be" he said. "One cannot but feel sorry for pure bloods, but of course, they cannot help it; and not all are degenerate or moronic, you know, so one must be tolerant. I have friends who are pure bloods, and you'd never suspect it."

That left the bitch spluttering.

Madam Bacsó gave a mirthless smile.

"We are all different" she said through gritted teeth.

There was not, it seemed, to be a display of unforgivable curses here to put mudbloods and blood traitors on their places. David was almost disappointed. It would have been nice to have had a moral victory to start things off. Assuming he was likely to be chosen.

Whether he was or not, Madam Spikenard had good reason for him to apply. And she was a kindly woman who never did anything without good reason; and she had tacitly backed the blood group from the moment she had arrived and had seen with her divination skills their connection and the path they must tread.

He led the German contingent indoors

The marauders promptly separated and acquired the various German contestants and proceeded to subject them to the sort of level of interrogation – had they but realised they were being interrogated – that was probably forbidden under law in the muggle world by the Geneva Convention.

Gabrielle Delacourt and friends kidnapped the French team, who were too horrified that they were expected to share a table and food with a Goblin and a Hag and yet too polite to say much. The behaviour of both the non humans quickly reassured them, and Madame Maxime herself was only part human and so some at least of them thawed noticeably. It was a Spanish boy, Eliseo Quinteras who broke the ice, remarking tactlessly that he had not realised that English Hags and Goblins were as civilised as any other folks.

"But M'sieur" quipped Garjala quickly "As we are none of us German, does that not give us a good start?"

There was much laughter; and the French contingent felt less upset at being invited to join these very little children!

"Do not 'ave anysing to do wiz zese German pigs" said one of the boys intensely "Zey use competitions to 'arm people you must know zat; next time zis competition runs, you will be old enough to enter, and you must be careful!"

"Say more, my friend" Said Callum.

"Yes; I will tell you!" he said, eyes blazing "My mozzer died in a so-called friendly duel against an ex Durmstrang pupil, in a supposed demonstration bout during what zey call' European Good Will Fun week, because she was a blood traitor and my fazzer he have a muggle grandfazzer. I was nine at ze time and my t'ree younger siblings, zey not remember our mozzer at all. Zey are evil!"

"Some of them want out you know" said Garjala "It's the rotten ones that give the rest a bad name, like rotten and violent goblins give my people a bad name. But you are right; when we get there, we'll be careful. I so want to duel against them; they'll be like totally hacked off to be beaten by a goblin!"

"Not in Germany zen, leetle girl" said the French boy "Eet ees illegal for ze goblins to carry wands zere; zey would put you in zere prison ze moment you entered ze country."

"What about full faith and credence over team membership?" demanded Alice Trumball. "Uncle Lucius's have something to say about that I bet!"

"Ah, a Malfoy? Your Uncle Lucius 'e cannot take on all of Germany" said the boy "Eet is better sometimes to be safe zan sorry; and find ze ozzer way. Like invite zem here wiz YOUR laws."

"I like the way this man thinks" said Garjala. "THAT's why we're hosting it, to give us a chance to piss them off and make them cast unforgivable curses and get them thrown in OUR prison. Dumbledore's a great man!"

The combined staff entered the room and the pupils of the French contingent and Hogwarts rose as a man in respect, following the custom Krait had firmly instilled after seeing the way the French had respected Madame Maxime at the last Triwizard. Most Hogwarts pupils had no idea it had not always been done like this. They also rose for a professor in each class, Krait having come across that in a school story and thinking it appropriate.

The Durmstrang contingent goggled; and the boy next to David leaped to his feet in rapid imitation. Dumbledore waved them seated again and tea began in earnest.

"You people defeated Voldemort" said Karl "And I think you fight the organisation we do not name too?"

"Odessa? Yes" said David, speaking quietly and looking away from the German staff.

"I want to work against them also; I would like to defect but I have a little sister, Uschi, and she is only ten…I am afraid of her suffering if I do not do as I am supposed to" said Karl.

"Then go ahead as normal; and let me know quietly if you are supposed to do anything to sabotage the competition" said David, speaking down into his food to hide his mouth from any lip reading "We'll figure out a way to snatch your sister at some point; no good drawing attention to it until the end of the competition. If you're not the champion for your team will you still come as moral support?"

"Yes, we are all expected to cheer on the one chosen" said Karl "I am afraid of it being Irmtraut; she is the one you so neatly insulted. She is pure bred you know and she is very good."

"Well, if it is her, we'll just have to see we win humiliatingly well" shrugged David. "I wonder if this is what Madam Spikenard meant? But I can help you if I'm in it or no…."

"Pardon?"

"Our Divination Professor said I had to enter as I'd have a task to do. Well, I'll sit back and see what happens" said David cheerfully.

After the meal, Dumbledore rose; and the school rose too, the older ones maliciously pleased to flat-foot the French on manners that time.

Dumbledore waved them back down.

"I am pleased to announce the three champions; who will perhaps come to the front as I call out their names" he said. "From Beauxbatons; Alain Réaumier."

The boy who had been spreading the warning to the third rose and went to the front with a look of blazing but grim satisfaction on his face. His team mates clapped as did those of the British school; and both were polite claps, save for the enthusiastic applause of the generous hearted Spanish boy whose disappointment was clear on his face.

"From Durmstrang: Karl Heinz"

David's new friend rose, his face an unemotional mask, and walked to the front. He too received polite applause.

"From Hogwarts; David Fraser."

David got up; whatever his bloodkin had said about it being inevitable, he was still half surprised when there were older ones.

The applause for him was like thunder, including from about half the other disappointed candidates.

"You are popular" said Karl softly.

David flushed.

"I guess maybe I am" he said. "Though I don't court it."

"That's probably why then" said Karl.

Dumbledore had to motion for hush.

"My Children!" he said, laughing "He hasn't won it yet….I know David Fraser is a popular choice in Hogwarts, I expect each of the other champions will be greeted as rapturously by their own youthful compatriots when they are announced in their respective schools."

"Doubt it" muttered Karl.

Dumbledore went on,

"The first task has been set by the GERMAN sports ministry; you have one week in which to solve a riddle that is your clue to the task, then the competition will take place. Points will be given for the speed at which the task is performed and points will also be given for style. The Sports Ministers of the respective countries will come to stay over the period of the competition; and I'm afraid, David, as head boy, the task of showing them over the place and seeing to their comfort will be yours in addition to worrying about your task."

"I object!"

The German pureblood girl, Irmtraut had arisen, looking angry.

"I beg your pardon?" said Dumbledore mildly

"I object that he the chance has the judges to influence unduly by sycophancy!" she said.

There was a shocked silence.

"I am very sorry, my dear, that your own standards of behaviour are so poor that you could even think of such a thing" said Dumbledore quietly "It must be very uncomfortable for you to live with such dishonourable thoughts. Do the heads of the other schools object?"

"Of course not, M'sieur Dumbledore!" said Madame Maxime at once "Such a suggestion eet ees outrrrragious!" and she rolled her r's as magnificently as ever Minerva McGonagall ever did.

"I – well it could be open to interpretation by outsiders" managed Madam Bacsó, who did object.

"Zen I 'ave ze suggestion" Madame Maxime beamed "Since our own champions stand in place of our schools, even as an 'Ead Boy does, let each champion show 'is own Meenister around. Zat is demonstrably fair, n'est-ce pas?"

"An excellent solution" said Dumbledore gravely "Though still a grave insult to Mr Fraser to have his honour thus questioned."

"Ah, bah, why would he take notice of a girl evidently herself wizzout honour to so sink of eet at all?" said Madame Maxime. "Agata, you 'ave my pity zat you 'ave so rude and ill-bred a girl on your team."

Madam Bacsó seethed gently.

Surreptitious under the table wand work guaranteed Irmtraut some interestingly psychedelic farts for a considerable time to come.

And then the riddles were handed out in sealed envelopes.

David opened the envelope in the Gryffindor common room.

The Gryffindor common room also included two Hufflepuffs and a selection of Slytherin; the other Gryffindors had become resigned to the inclusion of non Gryffindor marauders but there was something of a mutter over Lynx Black-Weasley and friends. She grinned cheekily.

"You don't REALLY mind do you?" she said "Gryff was my second choice of house, you know!"

Hawke cuffed her absently with two fingers.

"They'll keep quiet and try not to smell too much like juniors" he drawled "If they make a peep I'll put them out."

Lynx made a resentful face at him but held her tongue.

The Gryffindor juniors were just coming to the conclusion that Hawke Malfoy had just insulted them as well and were inclined therefore to range themselves behind Lynx and friends and cast their own resentful looks on the Slytherin prefect. Hawke ignored them loftily.

"Just keep the peace the lot of you" said David "Or I shan't read it out loud."

There was instant silence.

David read,

"Sounds like I saw her, in slightly different words,

and look for different numbers too

with 10 legs and 10 eyes

find the right base to lose the surprise

so then you'll know just what to do

evade her anger and beware

and take the hostage from her lair."

"Well that's easy" said Willow.

"Different base…one-zero; if that's base eight it'd be spiders because only spiders have a large number of legs and eyes and it's silly to have it base two because that covers anything with two legs from – from abominable snowmen to werewolves" said David. "Acromantulas then. What's this sounds like I saw her business?"

"Dur, David, heavy German punning here; 'I spied her' of course!" said Willow.

"Oh dear" said David "Is that why Al – Professor Dumbledore insisted on stressing it was the Germans who set this?"

"Not hardly" said Ellie "He knew you'd get the arithmancy long before you worried about really bad puns; it's got to be to do with that 'hostage' bit."

"Yes!" said Gabrielle, excited "Eet was zthe German team what set the task when I was under ze lake for my sister to rescue!" she was rapidly losing her strong French accent but it came through in times of emotion. "Zey will take Ellie and 'ave 'er wrapped by a spider and zeze Germans, zey might not mind if she is et, as she is 'alf Goblin!"

David's heart hammered.

Ellie smiled at him and touched her own zig zag scar lightly.

"Let 'em TRY to hurt me" she said.

David nodded, forcing himself to calm down. The Blood Group would protect her whatever happened.

"I disagree" said Willow.

"Why?" demanded David, thinking she disagreed that they could protect Ellie.

"THAT task, as I recall it being related, had a lot of mush about your dearest person" said Willow "No, don't hit me, I can be mushy too when I feel like it about mine; but it made much of risking everything for who you held dearest. This just says Hostages. What's the betting these German creeps grab random people, even muggles?"

"They can't do that – it's illegal!" said David.

"Then after you've rescued yours and if need be helped rescue the others, you get up on your hind feet and tell them so you big dog-breathed lug" said Willow.

"A FINE way to address your Head Boy" said Hawke virtuously.

"He was my friend before he was head boy; you can talk to friends like that" said Willow loftily "Anyway, half the time it's not even an insult but the truth, when he's being in animagus form."

"It's very hard to complain about an insult that IS the truth" laughed David. "Well, perhaps that's what Madam Spikenard wanted me to do."

He then had to explain what Madam Spikenard had said and was horrified to gain kudos for being a prophecy like Harry Potter.

"It's NOT a prophecy!" he said "Just her hunch!"

"Huh, Madam Spikenard's hunches get to be more accurate than most fool seer's prophesies" said Callum Prince.

David was afraid he could not dispute that!

It was a little unfortunate that Lionel Dell was rather enraptured by the Durmstrang following and happened to admit – with some resentment – that there was a muggle staying at Hogwarts with his sister; Ross Tuthill had been given permission by his parents on the understanding that if he could not find enough magic to stay of right that he should transfer to Rowan House next September; and so long as he continued to study for muggle subjects assiduously. Ross was joining in with Arithmancy, History of Magic, care of Magical Beasts and Potions – at which he was, as Neville reported, no more hopeless than average – and studying in his own time Chemistry, Geography, History, English Literature and Latin. Severus was helping him with the latter and studying Chemistry alongside him; and Sirius had him in the Geomancy class to work on his geography, helping him out from time to time. Krait pointed out through Severus that if given a library card and a season ticket to Glasgow to use it, he'd probably gain as much knowledge from reading as in many a classroom; and Dumbeldore had agreed. Ross also used an internet café in the library to email his parents weekly.

Some of the Durmstrang contingent suggested that the muggle should be made to want to go back to where he belonged; and Dell heartily agreed and went along for some muggle baiting.

David caught them cursing and jinxing poor Ross on the stairs; including what he thought was an only slightly toned down version of the cruciatus curse; and shortly thereafter, there were four wriggling woodlice suspended in mid air. David had not bothered with word or wand and they were all taken by surprise.

One of the woodlice slumped in resignation; the easiest way to identify that one as Dell. David sorted out Ross Tuthill and sent him on his way; then used the prefect's spell to haul the woodlouse that was Dell by what passed as his ear into the Head of School's office, a courtesy David appreciated as a haven when he needed time on his own.

He turned Dell back and dropped him, none too gently into the other chair.

"Well?" he demanded.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Dell squirmed almost as much as he had as a woodlouse.

"I – they went further than I expected or – or thought appropriate; I – I didn't realise" said Dell. "But he DIDN'T ought to be here!"

"I think that his loyalty to his sister that surpasses his own academic ambition is rather laudable in a way, actually" said David coldly.

"To try to make her turn her back on magic and give up her friends?" demanded Dell.

David blinked.

"Who's been suggesting any of that rubbish? Believe me, I see them at prep in Gryff Tower; he's dead keen for her!" he said.

"Muggles are jealous! They take people away from their family and make them deny magic!" cried Dell "And Freya's a really nice kid, she doesn't deserve to be made back into a muggle!"

David got up and poured a couple of glasses of butterbeer from his wand. It was one of his favourite NEWT level transfiguration skills.

"Drink that down, get yourself under control and tell me what muggle has so addled your brain that you can't see any muggle without assuming they're the same as the git you describe" said David.

Lionel Dell took a long swig.

"All right" he said in a low voice. "My mother's muggleborn; you're muggleborn, aren't you?"

"I am" said David "And with that bloodline, I'd advise not playing with Durmstrangers; you're too close to muggle yourself for THEIR liking."

"Muggleborn are still magical" said Dell "And I've seen how brilliant you are…you'd never turn your back on the wizarding world, would you?"

"The only reason I might was if by doing so I might save it, or save my new wizarding family" said David "And it would hurt more than I care to imagine."

"Yeah, but you're a Gryff and supposed to do noble things sometimes…" said Dell. "My mother was a Huffer; maybe not brilliant, but she was a witch!"

"She's dead?"

"No – I know it's a terrible thing to say, but if she was it might be easier to come to terms with!"

David was shocked; he missed his parents still, but there were tears in Dell's eyes.

"Go on" he said.

"She's always believed in omens and things; I think muggles follow star signs and predictions too?" he glanced at David, who nodded; and went on "She used to follow such things I think before she ever went to Hogwarts, and she read one when she and dad were having a rocky patch which told her to make a clean break and seek out an entirely new life. So she divorced him."

"And this is why I don't think much of Divination on the whole – even if Madam Spikenard is more accurate than most" said David "The trouble with superstitious muggles is that they can be very superstitious indeed; nowadays it fulfils a psychological need that used to be filled by religion, I believe. And I guess with the teaching at Hogwarts that such things can work – and under Powerless Polly I suppose, Madam Trelawney I should say – it'd reinforce any such belief. That's a tough blow to take."

"Oh that's not the worst!" said Dell bitterly "I could almost have coped with that – I mean, maybe a clean break from the quarrelling was best – but her new boyfriend Tony is a muggle, and she told him about the wizarding world, and he wants her to have a totally new life without any of what he calls 'all that revolting rubbish' and you see, part of that revolting rubbish is me, because I'm a wizard. He's told her she can have other kids that aren't contaminated, and forget me!"

He burst into tears in earnest at that point.

David came round the desk to put an arm around his shoulders.

"You poor little sod" he said gently "You poor, poor little sod! But, Lionel, LISTEN to me! This Tony sounds a creep – and no, he's NOT alone among muggles; Harry Potter had to live with his aunt and uncle until he came to school and then in the holidays too, because of a blood oath of his mother, his aunt's sister, through her death-sacrifice; and they were just as bad. He was punished for doing instinctive magic before he knew what it was – they did – and for even talking about the wizarding world when he did know. But they are NOT representative, my good ass! Tamsin Clintock's parents are as proud as punch of her, and Hermione Gr – uh, Weasley's parents too! Mine would have been of me, if they were alive! What about your grandparents?"

"I – well I guess they're all right….and my uncle Geoff and Grigs my cousin. But….you know!"

"Lionel, I can see where you're coming from" said David "But suppose the only wizard a muggle knew was Voldemort? Don't you think that would lead to him thinking all wizards were evil? This Tony might be as crass and ignorant a bigot as bloodsnobs are; or it might be he had a bad experience caused by the Deatheaters when they were running riot, or came up against a Dementor or something. I'll get Lucius Malfoy to look into it; he's very good at that sort of thing. And if TONY is bigoted for good reason, it'd be worth trying to help him get over it too. But you need to know that one person's meanness should not colour you views! The Goblin bookie in Hogsmead is a crook; but Garjala isn't and you came to acknowledge that. Baddock and Pritchard are nasty bullies; but I have many Slytherin friends. You are a clever boy, Lionel, and able to be objective when facts are pointed out to you; but for your blind spot with potions, you'd be the top student in your year in my estimation. I rather like you too; except when you are doing such deatheaterish things as torturing a kid who's smaller than you on no other grounds than his race."

Dell squirmed.

"That does sound rather mindlessly childish, doesn't it?" he muttered.

"And that's what I like about you lad; that you ARE objective about yourself" said David. "And about facts when you see past your unreasoning prejudices. Now we all have fears and phobias; when we test ourselves against the Boggart in the third year, we see what we fear most. What did you see?"

"Tony" said Dell "Coming at me with one of those muggle weapons you used on the werewolves."

"Then I can see it's a deeper thing than just hating him for taking your mother – which is bad enough- but also a real fear that he might be a risk to the wizarding world?"

Dell nodded miserably. David laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll get Lucius to check that too; and if he is a risk, I'll ask Lucius to give your mother the choice of giving him up or never mentioning the wizarding world to him again, and Lucius can confund him. Then you need not fear him."

Dell's eyes blazed with hope.

"Oh please! He swore he'd find a way to kill me when I shouted at him for taking my mother from her talent; I – I did say that I could use my wand on him when I was seventeen, and he said then I should have to die before I got that old!"

David's face went flat and hard.

"Of all the…..! does he not expect a little boy to react in anger and say things he might not even mean? Bastard! Lionel, my lad, you fear and hate TONY; but he is not all muggles. I know many muggles; I have known cruel mean muggles who would be at home alongside Voldemort – Madam Malfoy, her first adopted girls Jade and Lydia and I were all in an orphanage that was run by evil bitches….yes, I think you need to know." Quickly he outlined the outrages of the orphanage and told the horrified boy that Krait Malfoy-Snape would bear scars on her back to the end of her life as they counted as cursed, even though put there by muggles; and that Jade too had some faint scarring of the same kind. He stripped his shirt to show his own scars.

Dell started crying again.

"Doesn't that PROVE that muggles are evil?" he said.

"Lionel, if I can survive all this, and still swear to you as honest truth that these muggles are a minority, that muggles are no more good, or evil, or clever or stupid than wizards, will you believe me, knowing what I have been through?" asked David.

Dell blinked.

"Yes I will; if you have seen that and still see good in others" he said simply.

"I know many muggles; and most of them are thoroughly innocuous" said David "And many are silly; and some are wise. If they were mixed in with wizards, and everyone had to wear an overall that hid their different fashions, and magic was forbidden, it'd be hard to tell one group from the other – until either football or quidditch entered the conversation. They have their sports – you know Willow Prince is running hockey lessons for fun this term and we had cricket in the summer, it's part of our way to hide through obviousness – and many are as passionate over them as we can be over quidditch; some of us more than others! I love Quidditch, as I know you do; my girlfriend Ellie smiles tolerantly at me over it. Will you try to put aside your dislike of muggles in general then?"

"Yes Fraser; I believe what you tell me" said Dell, simply.

"Good lad!" said David, smiling quickly. "Now what I want you to do is to go and apologise to Tuthill; and tell him why you had a poor view of muggles. I think you'll find he'll be pretty understanding; I understand the next sister down is jealous, and it upsets him and Freya. Ask him to show you some of his muggle chemistry; Krait Malfoy learned that in her muggle school and she reckoned it gave her a head start in potions. And what little I had learned too, I found useful, so for what it's worth I suggest that as a way to start making a friend of him."

"I – I have to make friends with him?" Dell was not a little dismayed.

David grinned.

"I think it'll happen naturally" he said. "You know Rom Snape is adopted? No? Well he is….Krait turned him and Kinat each into woodlice for making racist remarks at each other; and then sentenced them to talk to each other. And see where they are now."

"Both Marauders" said Dell. "All right Fraser; I'll try."

"Can't say fairer than that" said David, holding out a hand.

Dell shook it, shyly.

Fraser was, in his opinion, the best man in the world!

Ross Tuthill was wary of Dell's approach; but by the time the older boy had stammered out his reasons for hating muggles Ross was indignant on his behalf.

"Gosh, what a dyed-in-the-wool, grade 'A' class '1' SKANK!" he declared "Let anyone try that on my sister and I'd ruddy maim him! I say, let's go into Glasgow together – Fraser'll get you permission to come with me if we ask – and use the internet to lay information that he's a pervert or something and sick the fuzz on him!"

"I didn't understand half of that" said Dell.

Ross grinned.

"With electricity and computers you can talk to anyone anywhere in the world, it's called the internet – I'll show you when we get there – and we can well, fuzz, police, like Alice Trumball's dad, they're like muggle aurors kinda, and if we tip them off that he's a pervert they'd have to investigate him; and it's not that he's innocent that matters but that it'll inconvenience him and they'll stick their noses into every part of his life, and the beauty of it is he won't suspect it of being anything to do with you because you don't DO computers."

Dell brightened.

"I LIKE it!" he said.

And of such are friendships made.

oOoOo

David was drawn to go first in the first task; he and the other contestants waited by the broom sheds at the quiddich field that had been taken over for the competition, and structures built on it. David knew that the spectators on the tiers would be able to see into the arena but that he would have less of an advantage.

And the whistle was blown to start the time.

He went forward, wand at the ready; and was in a room with five doors. They were numbered 10,11,12,13, and14.

Above them was the legend – in rather heavy Germanic script it has to be said that made David frown more with irritation at the pettiness than from a difficulty reading it – that read

"Let the number of your own digits be the lucky number."

"Well, let's assume this whole ruddy thing is in base eight" said David to himself "I have ten digits; and that means one eight and two units, one-two." Boldly he walked through the door marked '12'.

He was in the spider's lair; and the big acromantula reared up, ready to hold him off the spider silk wrapped body behind it. It was nothing like as big as Aragog.

David had thoughts of Hagrid crying over a 'poor little thing' and sighing decided to use non lethal methods. The spider advanced, poison fangs at the ready.

"Heh heh, more prey….two for me" it chuckled. Then it yelped.

The Tarantallegra curse was a terrible thing to have cast on someone with eight legs to dance uncontrollably.

David strolled over to the wrapped bundle – a very small wrapped bundle, a goblin perhaps? – and picked it up easily and walked out past the still frantically dancing spider. He could hear the laughter from the spectators above.

"Look at Fraser like he's out for a Sunday stroll with a girlfriend!" he heard Dell's voice whooping.

He walked out grinning.

By the time he had ripped the wrapping off the bundle he was no longer grinning.

The bundle was a little girl, no more than nine years old; and she was coming to, terrified, and asking questions in a language David did not know.

"What is this? Using children? Where are they from?" he demanded of the German Minister of magic.

The man shrugged.

"They are Romanian orphans" he said "Muggles. Nobody wants them; they have been promised the chance of growing up in the wizarding world if they survive. You have yourself a slave, Herr Fraser."

"Slave? You sausage eating git!" said David "And what do you mean – if they survive?"

"Well, obviously the acromantulas had to have incentives….if the contestants failed, they got to eat the brats, obviously."

Dumbledore's hands clamped on David's arms as he started to go for his wand.

"Other days, other ways, Fraser" he said quietly "I'm sure we are all fascinated by the German way of doing things."

"Yes; we Germans are always efficient" said the German Minister proudly, unaware that he had come close to having the killing curse hurled at him; unaware that David was furious and even had be been aware of that, he would have been puzzled as to why.

Dumbledore said,

"Madam Pomfrey will see to the care of this little one; go to the stands and watch. It is being got ready for Karl Heinz now as we speak."

David heard the note of ordering in the Head's voice, bowed politely and went to sit with his fellow Gryffindors, simmering gently.

Karl spent more time than David finding the right door, going first into '10' and wandering about a labyrinth and ending up exiting at '14' before he hit his head and calculated – using his fingers – where he should be.

Karl did not hang about with the acromantula; he used the Killing Curse as fast as he could, and the immense bloated body twitched horridly as he took the small body out.

"Top marks for German efficiency but like minus several thousand for style" said Abrax.

"German efficiency? Let me tell you about German efficiency!" said David in a low, angry voice; and he told them.

There was a shocked silence.

"Right" said Kinat "Let's get down there when they take the body out, reckon there's seven or more pints of venom there at a hundred galleons a pint, that'll help keep the orphans….we'll kidnap them if this boy Karl tries to keep his as a slave."

"He's not like that" said David "Yes, good idea; get house elves to help."

Kinat slid off and reappeared on the field in workman's overalls looking for all the world like a goblin menial. He heaved off the spider's body and took it to a quiet corner to milk all under the eyes of everyone watching and without a murmur from anyone.

The third acromantula was brought in from its cage, the third wrapped body beside it.

It was Alain's turn.

Alain did the arithmancy fairly quickly and stepped inside.

Then he seemed to freeze.

"Poor bastard's afraid of spiders" said Abraxus.

Alain backed away as the spider laughed; and it chuckled. He swayed and seemed to pass out under its very breath and poison was dripping down its fangs in anticipation.

David could not stand it. He dived, and called for the flying abilities they had learned from Harry's insights into Voldemort's mind; and he was changing as he landed, transfiguring into what a spider feared most; and the spider had time to squeal once in terror before it could scream no more, turned to stone by David-the basilisk's glare.

"Damn, all that poison fossilised!" Abraxus muttered "Half a mo, there's what dribbled out…." He emptied his water bottle and pointed his wand at it "_Accio venom_" he muttered.

The bottle filled very neatly.

"That's a pint and three quarters then" muttered Abraxus.

David meanwhile had changed back and was checking Alain.

"Daveed? You save me!" said the boy, white faced and shaken, and plainly overcome by the very stench of the venom.

"Let me pick up the child; then you can lean on me" said David. Alain nodded.

Karl came to take his other arm as they emerged.

"I need no 'elp from a German pig" said Alain.

"I don't like the way they do things any more than you do" said Karl "Don't hate me; hate the system."

Alain sniffed; but he was in a bad enough way not to complain too much.

Madam Pomfrey was holding forth.

"Dragons….acromantulas….innocent children put at risk…. This is beyond enough!"

"I agree" said David coldly "You will keep a close eye on those children, Madam Pomfrey?"

She caught his eye, read his fear for their safety.

"No-one will get past ME to harm them" she said grimly.

The judging went ahead; after Madame Maxime had swept David into a bear hug and thanked him effusively for saving Alain.

Madam McGonagall said,

"Weel, laddie, if ye can but manage tae transfigure like that in yer exam, ye'll be afther getting an 'O' grade, ah doot!"

"It was kind of an emergency" said David.

"Ay weel, like the woodlice ah had tae rescue ah suppose."

"Lord, I forgot the German woodlice….thanks Madam McGonagall!" said David.

"And ye canna tell me the five exceptions tae Gamp's rule" sighed McGonagall.

The German authorities were a little upset that one of their spiders was petrified – and Severus refusing to issue any mandrake juice to cure it – one dead and the other…..missing.

With David becoming a Basilisk it had sensed him and broke out of its cage.

Kinat whispered,

"It had a fatal on-purpose on the way to the Forbidden Forest…another eight pints."

"What are you like and what would Hagrid say?"

"Oh Hagrid already went to talk to them and was offended by their manners" said Kinat cheerfully.

David did not really see a problem with acromantulas receiving a fatal on-purpose. They were very nasty creatures and not natural either. It was rather mercenary of Kinat; but he WAS a goblin; and it was for good reasons.

The points were given out.

David had gained twenty four time points; and had received eight style points from France, six only from Germany and nine from Murphy of Britain who disliked spiders and had enjoyed seeing one dance. As he said, he withheld one point because he would have liked to have seen the wretched thing killed.

Karl picked up eighteen time points for wasting time in the labyrinth, though his kill time had thereafter been fast; Germany gave him ten points for style, France only seven, and Murphy said that he would give him five for wand work but was tempted to mark him zero for using an unforgivable curse.

"It is reasonable on a creature!" said the German minister.

"It is never legal on creature or person!" protested Murphy

"You are too squeamish! It is legal on a creature in his home country!"

"There are those who would argue he should be arrested for even using it here!" said Murphy "I excuse the boy on grounds of ignorance, but Mr Heinz, you will be aware that any more uses of the unforgivable curses while you are in Britain will lead to your immediate arrest, your wand being broken and a long sojourn in Azkaban!"

"I apologise if I have done wrong sir" said Karl "My head teacher said that it was a permissible thing to do on creatures. I will not use any such curse again in Britain."

Alain did not complete; and therefore was not entitled to any time points. He got a three and two fours for his quick solution of the arithmancy, almost as a consolation prize. He had eleven points; Karl had forty and David had forty seven.

The three contestants – Alain still groggy – were each given what appeared to be a small wooden box.

"Here is the next clue; it has been set by France" said Dumbledore. "You have over the holidays to solve it."

David almost felt like throwing the thing away in disgust; but sought out Padfoot instead to take him to Romania to learn the language. He followed muggle papers as well as wizarding news, and was not surprised that Romanian orphans could vanish without anyone even noticing, let alone caring much.

He wanted to make up to these poor mites for their experiences.

Karl managed to see David for a few minutes before he had to embark to return until the second task.

"Will you care for the kids?" he asked.

David nodded.

"I will" he said "And they WILL grow up in the wizarding community as they were promised; but not as slaves. We're starting a new school for squibs and muggle relatives; I've been helping with the curriculum."

Karl relaxed.

He dared not take his orphan back with him; he knew too well how she would fare!

The orphans were three little girls; the one David had first rescued called Floriana Asaftei, who hid fear in noisy brashness, and who turned out to be rather musical; Karl had rescued Sanda Ileas, a quiet child who liked to draw, and who did so rather well; and the one assigned to Alain who was David's second rescuee was called Vasilica Petrescu a dark-skinned child almost certainly a gypsy, who crossed herself devoutly, kissed David's hands and asked what happened now.

Vasilica had definite magical emanations; and David told her she would be trained as a proper witch as his ward. Then he handed them all into the care of his excellent Gran.

He would play with them at the weekends but he had too much to do to care for youngsters. One of them plotting the downfall of the German Minister of Sport.

Meantime, David got out the box to study.

It was a cube that had no immediately apparent way of opening it; but on it were various dots.

David wondered if one moved the dots to line up; and found that indeed they did move.

"Is it Wenlock series?" asked Fenella, hesitantly.

"You clever old thing!" said David jubilantly "Of COURSE it's Wenlock numbers, I can see it now…" and he was busy twisting, lining up the dots in a Fibonacci series, as the muggles called Bridget Wenlock's discovery. As he did so, the cube expanded until he had what David referred to as an oblate spheroid and everyone else called egg shaped. It opened readily then and he took out a scrap of paper.

"ARGG another ruddy riddle!" he groaned.

This one said,

"To reach and find your heart's desire

you must pass through water, air and fire

you must prepare and have enough

or coming home may yet be tough."

"Reckon the box was the riddle" said Abraxus "This seems pretty straightforward; this is the one they kidnap Ellie for and you pass through various elements and then have to get her back through them."

"Loads of ways to do that" said Kinat "Gillyweed for water, hovering charms for air, not showing off too much that you can fly by using good old fashioned muggle physics by squirting water out of your wand to push you with the jet; then the flame-freezing charm for fire."

"Or I can transfigure into a fish, a gryffon and an ashwinder" said David. "I say, isn't there a Gryffon kept at Gringott's as a guardian?"

"Yeah" said Kinat "Dad said it's a poor pathetic thing."

"It would be, not free to fly" said David.

"Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" said Abraxus.

"Of course he is" said Kinat "And we're behind you all the way, David mate."

David nodded grimly.

"Thanks… I appreciate that. There's too damn much slavery and exploitation in the wizarding world. Time to start making a difference!"

Dell and Tuthill had come up to David to congratulate him; and offer help teaching his orphans English. David appreciated that.

Once Dell had decided what he believed in, nobody could fault him in being wholehearted about making up for previous misconceptions.

Why they had arranged to have a muggle paper sent and perused it regularly giggling, David preferred not to know.

oOoOo

It was a surprise a few days later when David had to break up a fight between Lionel Dell and Tycho Salaman.

"I only said 'welcome to the human race' to Dell" said Salaman "And he said, 'how would you know', and it was a perfectly private fight, Fraser without any real malice and you had no call to interrupt it!"

"Yes I jolly well did" said David "Third years scrapping on the stairs where any weevil could see, or second year warts and a fine crop of them we have this year; and Peeves too! You should be ashamed of yourselves for not scrapping behind the broom sheds like any civilised barbarians!"

They both grinned.

"Should we resume there then Fraser?" said Salaman.

"No, you'll both write me an impot on…let me see, the Cats of Kilkenny, five times each and reflect upon the futility of fighting for its own sake" said David.

That ought to keep them busy for a while!

David needed his usual bugbears out of his hair to consider things like the future of his orphans, how to rescue a gryffon, what methods to use to succeed with the test – and potions looked the best options for water and fire that he could give Ellie too in case they took her wand or she was unconscious – and even some schoolwork.

Madam Spikenard hugged David suddenly when he met her in the corridor.

"ATTABOY!" she said "You can lose the rest if you want!"

She was teasing him and grinning; and David grinned back.

"Oh let's keep Durmstrang in its place" he said "Could you not tell me more?"

"I didn't KNOW more" she said "I had unease about it; and I cast matchsticks and cards and even tried the crystal ball – which I'm not very good with – and all I got was spiders, children, muggles and danger. It was pretty vague. And if I said too much it might have disqualified you and failed to deliver you where you had to be. I got Professor Dumbledore to make sure you were watching; then I KNEW."

"Why me, as a matter of interest?"

"Did I not say? I kept getting the Fraser tartan in flashes….once I looked up what it was I knew it was you. Though I do not know the significance of the black bear in the tealeaves."

David grinned.

"There's a tune called 'Black Bear'; it's special to me for various reasons, not least being a clan tune, Fraser of Lovatt" he said "And that's all the confirmation I need that it was me. Thank you."

"You're welcome; and so are those poor children."

"One'll be coming here; the others to Rowan House" said David.

He also spoke to Dumbledore about it.

"Can't we DO anything about that iniquitous use of muggle orphans?" he asked.

"I have made strong representations; which is all we can do for the time being" said Dumbledore "You may have to face up to not being able to bring down Odessa in your time at school, you know lad; in fact it may be your children, as it was the children of those who started the move against Voldemort."

David nodded.

"Then we had better continue preparing them through the muggle studies hobby group" he said "My children and Ellie's will be born blood group as the Snapelings are; as Padfoot and Willow's will be, and Grace and Draco, Hermione and Ron and Harry and Ginny. And Myrtle and Abrax for that matter" he added, grinning.

"Dear me, yes!" said Dumbledore "Willow and Padfoot? That passed me by."

"Willow's been stalking him for years" said David "She's got as far as sharpening her claws and purring right now. She'll have him as soon as she's of age I shouldn't wonder, if not before."

"And does he get a choice?"

"Do we men ever?" laughed David. "Ah…sore point?"

"I loved once in a romantic sense…. It was a poor choice" said Dumbledore. "But I am always glad to see the times when it does work; I have never lost my faith in TRUE love; and that is when it is selfless and reciprocated equally."

"Hear hear" said David.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The choosing of partners for the Yule Ball had yet to be finalised, though in the excitement of the first task many had almost forgotten it.

Plenty of girls remembered that Erich Snape could not go with his sister this year since she was now Madam Draco Malfoy; and as he was good looking and seemed to be pretty wealthy, he was beset by many a giggling, coy girl.

It has to be said that some of them hoped he would introduce them to his friend David Fraser whom they could quickly persuade that a good witch was better than a half-goblin, even a pretty one like Ellie.

Hawke too was without a partner; Hayley was going to the ball by rights this year as were the rest of her class, and she told Hawke apologetically she was going with Eustace Benton.

"Scrubb's all right" she said "And I got him reading CS Lewis and he calls me Pole; so that kind of makes us a couple."

Hawke nodded, understanding perfectly. Young Benton had come a long way from being almost as priggish as Fenella; his fellow Gryffindors had good-naturedly sat on him. Slythers and Gryffs of that year were pretty good, really. He had a chat with Romulus; and they decided to break with custom entirely and ask two second years, Lynx and Senagra respectively.

"Let's face it, they've each decided to have us when we grow up so we might as well get the bickering over and done with by the time they're old enough to be sexy" said Romulus fatalistically.

Hawke laughed.

"Speak for yourself; I shall run if Lynx chases too hard" he said.

The fourth had to sort themselves out; JJ, as Jasper Crouch Jones had become known and Colin Weasley picked two Gryffindor MSHG girls on the grounds that at least they'd have interesting conversation; Ed Dinalt asked Peta Umbridge, Prince Viktor asked Pris Lockhart, Crispin asked Cleonie Puckeridge and Gervase asked Emerald Lenoir.

Kinat, also partnerless, boldly asked Madam McGonagall and was turned down; so he settled for Garjala on the proviso she left any of her famous jokes and tricks behind.

Erich meanwhile had an excellent idea; and asked Fenella, who flushed and agreed.

"You don't dance I guess" said Erich "I'm not good at it; but you now have good conversation and that is all I look for; I am not for romance in any way ready." Being nervous increased his German idiom.

"I'll be glad not to be left unwanted by anyone, even if I don't really want to go" said Fenella.

"We go; we smile; we eat some things then go back to the common room with a good book and roast chestnuts together" said Erich.

"Sounds a much better evening than the one they have planned" said Fenella.

The other decision made on MSHG grounds was Francis Davenport's asking of Elisa Mourne. Elisa was delighted! She had spent a slightly miserable term, with Dione Parnassus still pointedly ignoring her, and Elisa was still worrying about Madam Malfoy, whom she thought was wonderful. She had made much of Jade Snape, knowing the child was adopted by Krait and Severus, especially after Jade had been injured; which Jade had endured kindly, and had sat to sew with Elisa and with Sephara. Sephara was going to the ball with with Martin Umbridge; and did not know that Neville Longbottom planned on dancing with her since he would teach no longer after this term if all went well for Krait.

Much however was to happen before the ball occurred; not only the stalking of eligible bachelors like David and the Malfoy twins – girls were watching avidly to see if Myrtle was out of favour yet – who were fair game.

Lionel Dell was glad to be out of it for another year, and said so to his new friends; for Ross had drawn him into his own group of rather eclectic friends, including three of Dell's own year, Tamsin Clintock and Tim Barnett, and the scatty but sweet Mary-Anne Green. Dell's conversion had brought him more friends too in his own year, including Callum and Cynner, Alice Trumball – whose mother had also absconded and wanted little to do with her – and Melody Bloom. It was a grouping with contacts in the Marauders, Junior marauders, Mei Chang's gang and Jade's gang. Lionel had never been so happy!

He was therefore deeply suspicious when Malcolm Baddock asked him to take a message into Hogsmead and send by village Owl service.

"What's wrong with a school owl, Baddock?" asked Dell.

"Mind your own business" said Baddock.

Dell held his peace. One did not argue with a member of the lower sixth reputed to have tied a first year into a knot and flushed him down the loo.

It was not true; and Dell was fairly certain it was not true. But that would not be for want of trying on Baddock's part.

This letter was underhanded; and Dell dared not fail to send it. He did however note the address, as far as he could read Baddock's handwriting; and then went to David.

"Fraser, is it sneaking to tell you something that I found a bit disturbing?" he asked.

David put down his quill and managed not to sigh. He was not sure if he was disturbed by or glad of the interruption of an eighteen inch essay on Gamp's law and its exceptions.

"Tell me as a friend and I'll decide then whether I need to put on my Head Boy's hat" he said.

Dell grinned.

"Baddock wanted a letter sent by Village Owl; that seemed shady" he said.

"It does sound underhanded; if it was to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes or somewhere like that though, I guess that's just paranoia about Argus Filch" said David.

"It wasn't there; it was Ascura Alley or some such" said Dell. "EC1"

David sat forward.

"Would that be Obscura Alley?" he asked.

"It could be… it looked like six-six-six which is an arithmantically scary number."

"There aren't that many houses in Obscura Alley….Abrax said it numbered to seventy something or thereabouts…. Write it down as well as you remember" he summoned paper and a quill for the boy. Dell was suitable impressed; and did his best.

"This COULD be sixty-six b you know" said David "That would be feasible; next to a VERY dodgy premises selling abortion and promising kidnap…. That's Draco's bag to pick up, I'll send him over. That's not so much school official as possibly legal official; you did quite right to come to me. It might just be a shady joke shop; but we'll see. Thanks, Lionel! Oh yes, I spoke to Lucius – had an owl from him this morning as it happens – he can't trace any problems Tony had with wizards in the past; he just seems to want to blank out the knowledge as Vernon Dursley does. Lucius said he just encouraged his mind not to think about it rather than confund him totally. No-one is as subtle as Lucius; he assures me he's forgotten any desire to kill you."

Dell heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thanks,Fraser; and thank Mr Malfoy for me!" he said.

"I gather your father's a cousin of his anyway so he did it with double enthusiasm" said David. "He said Tony's having some troubles right now, the police are interested in him for kiddy porn, his computer appears to have visited some dodgy sites. I suppose you're computer illiterate?"

"Utterly" said Dell.

"Hmm" said David "Guess I'd better not ask how skilled young Tuthill is and if he can hack into someone else's ISP to seem like their computer was used to browse where it shouldn't…."

"You might as well be speaking ancient Greek to me Fraser" said Dell with a straight face.

"Let's keep your level of ignorance over computers and mine over Tuthill about level right now" said David. "Oh – and NICE lateral thinking, the pair of you, don't go too far. Getting him suspect is one thing, fitting him up totally unless he is a significant risk to the wizarding world is something else entirely."

"Yes Fraser; I promise."

"Good man!"

Dell was sorted; Fenella Fenwick was sorted; Baddock and Pritchard might be about to be caught out at something rather unpleasant. The term was going fairly successfully.

It was time for something to go wrong.

The gasps of collective horror over the 'Daily Prophet' heralded something wrong before David had a chance to open his copy at breakfast next day.

Ellie passed him hers.

There was a letter decrying the members of the Fifth at Hogwarts, which was said to be full of unsuitable people like magical breeding experiments, zombies, known squibs and lawless elements not to mention the insane sixth former.

"What?" said David.

"Sephara's the known Squib of course" said Ellie "Myrtle's the zombie I suppose; I think I'm the breeding experiment, the marauders are the lawless element – not that they've done anything lawless since the sugar and salt incident last year – and I guess the insane is a dig at Fenella."

"I am not insane!" said Fenella.

"No, but you didn't come across that tightly wrapped at first" said Ellie. "I'm not a breeding experiment for that matter; truth doesn't matter much to poison pen writers so long as they cause hurt and trouble. What do we do, David? Ignore it?"

"Unless you've any idea who's doing it."

"I know Isabelle Yaxley's made snide comments about Sephara and Myrtle's backed Sephara up" said Ellie.

"Hey, it's in Witch Weekly too" said Lysistrata "What a hoot! They're planning on sending a reporter to make sure that no irregularities disturb poor young David Fraser, the second youngest Head Boy ever, from his tasks in the Triwizard competition in which he's also the second youngest ever competitor."

"Only because we didn't make it" said Abraxus, more out of habit then in any contentious spirit. It was a running joke.

"Cheeky so-an-so's" said David

"Give the reporter a burst of Severus-speak" suggested Kinat.

"I jolly well will too!" said David.

"Ouch" Fenella winced "I've been on the receiving end of that!"

David went to Dumbledore over that.

"I've had a hint that this is the fault of Isabelle Yaxley who has it in for her allegedly squib cousin" said David after showing Dumbledore the Witch Weekly article "I don't like to sneak or abrogate responsibility; but I think this needs some concerted idea about what tone to take with any reporter as you've managed to exclude them from the Triwizard on the grounds of the trouble Rita Skeeter tried to cause last time."

"Oh I haven't excluded reporters" said Dumbledore, twinkling roguishly "I just stated that a large fee would be required to the school to report on any private interschool competition but that they might – at a lower cost – purchase articles on the ongoing competition from a budding reporter."

"God's teeth and Merlin's bollocks who?" asked David aghast.

Dumbledore laughed.

"Almost as good as Miss Granger's comments about Merlin's underlinen….Willow Prince volunteered; she has a good writing style, if rather snide at times – can't think where that comes from – and a nice turn of phrase. I believe she said something about 'the unwholesome synthesis of German brisk pragmatism with an inhumanly reckless indifference that was the paradigm of eastern European carcinomous malignancy. I framed it" he added.

"Nice. I've been deliberately not reading any reports, working on the principle that they were probably made up" said David "I'll look out for them now! I'm surprised they printed it though, if it's against the enemy the 'Prophet' usually cuts it out."

"I don't think the editor understood it" said Dumbledore simply.

David laughed.

"THAT I actually can believe" he said. "What do we say, though?"

"We ask a ministry inspector in to test the fifth and see for himself that there's nothing wrong" said Dumbledore calmly "And permit this reporter only to accompany the inspector and write as she sees. You may prepare a written statement along the lines that the Triwizard is keeping you busy enough, in addition to your duties as Head Boy and that you feel this ridiculous nonsense is an imposition on your time – or something along those lines."

David nodded.

"If I run out of a flow of cacaceous effluvium I'm sure Willow will help" he said cheerfully.

"And I shall watch Miss Yaxley like a hawk and avoid letting her talk to this reporter at all" said Dumbledore.

David duly wrote,

_"Whilst I am both flattered and grateful that Witch Weekly should consider my welfare so deeply, might I also point out that my welfare with the joint responsibilities as Head Boy and Hogwarts Triwizard Candidate would be better served without having to deal with answering questions on what appears to be the fetid and fevered outpourings of some hysterical teenager perhaps under the influence of alihotsy leading to the risible and mendacious allegations launched inexplicably at the fifth year. It would seem to me that Witch Weekly might do better to aid Professor Dumbledore to uncover the identity of the unfortunate who has resorted to such cacaceous absurdity, the better to obtain for him or her the medical care this unfortunate attention seeker evidently needs, since the mental state of anyone who can write in so asinine and fatuous a fashion must be considered questionable."_

He showed it to Dumbledore, who laughed.

"Nicely done. How many times did you resort to a Thesaurus?"

"Only three; Severus trained me well."

"Good; I'll pass this to the reporter. You may, if she says anything, say that you have said all you intend to say in your written statement. I'll insist it's published in full too."

"Thanks" said David, realising that a good cut and paste could make him sound as though he was uttering feverish teenaged outpourings.

Sometimes a free press was a trial!

Clorinda Vale, Minister of Education, turned up herself, with Lucius Malfoy and the tiny, stooped figure of Madam Griselda Marchbanks, head of the Wizarding Examinations Board; as well as the brisk and eager figure of a plump young witch bearing a press badge naming her as Corinne Deveaux. David had suggested insisting on the wearing of a Press Pass, a muggle concept, so everyone who wanted to avoid her could.

As head boy, naturally he greeted the visitors.

"May I ask you some questions, David? I may call you David?" asked Miss Deveaux.

"I think you'll find all I need to say in the written statement I issued" said David, smiling pleasantly "Excuse me…will you have a seat, Professor Marchbanks while I fetch Professor Dumbledore?"

"Thank you; my bones are not as young as they were" said Madam Marchbanks.

David flourished his wand to use a summoning spell to draw up a chair for her as comfortable as he could make it based precisely on her height. She eased herself into it.

"Oh VERY well done, young man, produced with style, elegant in appearance and remarkably comfortable! If you are able to place a permanency charm on it too, I shall have my house elves take this home to use" said Madam Marchbanks. "And only in the lower sixth I believe? Remarkable!"

David bowed.

"At your will, Ma'am" he said, performing the permanency enchantment, using the extra curricular chanting he was learning to add to it.

"Well, I don't see YOU are going to have any difficulty in your NEWTs" said the elderly professor. "What will you be taking?"

"Potions – my best subject – DADA, Care of Magical Animals, Arithmancy – my second best subject along with Geomancy that I'm also taking and Transfiguration, which I'm not so good at."

"Not so good at Transfigurations? After a display like that? My dear boy!"

"It's my theory" said David mournfully "I can't always think in the wizarding way; I see a guinea fowl being closer to a chicken than to a Guinea pig. It's a mental block. And I LOATHE Professor Gamp and his exceptions" he added with feeling.

Professor Marchbanks laughed.

"With such practical talents I hardly feel you'll find the theory slows you up. And between you and me" she added "If you can find a LOGICAL reason to write about for the transfigurational closeness of one thing into another, you will be credited with thinking – which is what NEWT level is about more than churning back knowledge."

"Thank you ma'am!" said David.

"And I don't know anyone – except perhaps Hermione Weasley – who likes Gamp" said Lucius "I recall having homicidal thoughts about him myself when I did MY NEWTs."

"You achieved a very creditable 'E' in transfigurations as I recall Lucius" said Madam Marchbanks "You might have done better if your violin hadn't bitten the examiner after you had turned it back from being a cat."

Lucius grinned.

"At least I didn't refuse point blank to turn it back like my reprobate son and his friends!" he said.

"Hmm, well, the arguments for humanitarian grounds were very laudable; especially in light of the times and the troubles" said Madam Marchbanks. "And that naughty niece of yours used a Divination exam to warn of Voldemort's return…scared me silly I have to say when she described Morsmordre…quite right of her, but then to write about perturbations in Uranus….she's teaching now I hear?"

"She's having trouble with her latest pregnancy and is off sick until the end of this term" said Lucius "We're all a bit concerned; but her husband is taking excellent care of her."

"Well pass her my best; I had the treat of seeing her Patronus too and some excellent charm and transfiguration work" said Madam Marchbanks. "Ah, here is Albus…this young Head boy drew up a chair for me, Albus, with as much aplomb as you did in your Transfiguration NEWT, you should be proud of him"

"I am" said Dumbledore, dropping an arm across David's shoulder "He is a good boy, a hard worker, brave to a fault and one of the most popular head boys we have ever had with the little ones. I don't HAVE troubles in the school with David; he's going to run Draco a very close second as the most famous head boy ever"

"Ah well, Draco only got to kill deatheaters, he didn't have the Triwizard" laughed Lucius. "So perhaps if Fraser manages so well we should ask HIM what this trouble is in the fifth – beyond my nephews?"

"There isn't any trouble in the fifth" said David shortly "The er, lawless elements – you nephews and friends – have been working like stink all year and only occasionally broke out in mischief in the fourth. The rest of the strange allegations I really fail to understand; I cannot even guess at whom they might be aimed – unless the alleged squib was your niece who had been wrongly diagnosed as a squib and treated so badly."

"Ah yes! Sephara is doing quite well. I believe, even though she has had to catch up several years work?" said Lucius.

"Yes, my girlfriend Ellie and your nephew's girlfriend Myrtle have been helping her" said David. "And she's also made friends with a girl who had had some difficulty settling who's in Slytherin House, and who is getting on famously now. Oh there are some troublesome elements of course – the odd would-be bully, the occasional know-it-all, the bonehead who thinks moonlight broom flying would be fun on a cloudy night who has to be rescued from a tree – normal things."

"Relatively innocuous when I recall that in the fifth I was sneaking out for a torrid affair with a witch in Hogsmead" said Lucius.

"That's what happened to your grades was it?" said Dumbledore.

He shrugged.

"That and Voldemort…. Many of us got rather lost for many years under his influence. I suppose the stability of the school background has been the saving of many of us who would have been irreclaimable deatheaters. And that, Miss Deveaux, is what I resent about this sensationalist rubbish that has been printed and your avidly twitching nose like a curious guinea pig in search of a juicy story. You have been writing busily about Fraser's NEWTs and will doubtless make some snide comment about him taking six and if you even think about speculating on how the strain affects his mental state the way that Skeeter woman wrote about Harry, expect a law suit from me as a Governor on Fraser's behalf. Fraser stood the strain of studying for ten OWLs whilst fighting Voldemort; as my son took six NEWTs whilst fighting Voldemort. Strain sorts the men from the boys – I think I just called Hermione a man, tacitly – and worse, Krait – and moreover, Miss Deveaux, the reminiscences over my own school days were not for public consumption and I forbid you to use then and if necessary I shall put a lien on your paper, is that clear?"

"P-perfectly Mr Malfoy" said Corinne Deveaux, striking frantic lines through her notes.

"Good" said Lucius.

"Have you ever grown up, Lucius?" said Madam Marchbanks.

"Oh I hope not" said Lucius.

The Minister had, David thought, been very wise in 'laying low and saying nuffin''; but now she cleared her throat.

"Shall we do a brief test of each of the fifth then, Madam Marchbanks?"

"Certainly" said Madam Marchbanks. "Dear me, I really am very comfy…_Wingardium leviosa!_" and with a wave of her wand she levitated the chair to go along with the other testers.

The fifth quite enjoyed the change of routine; and performed with aplomb and panache, even Fish. Madam Marchbanks had a kindly word for both Kinat and Ellie, saying how pleased she was to see Goblins and those of Goblin blood at Hogwarts at long last and doing so well too, when many had predicted that they would drop out.

"With due respect, Madam Marchbanks" said Lucius "A many times great uncle of mine had goblin blood; he was only an eighth goblin admittedly but in the early years of the nineteenth century that was quite something; and he went on to teach until he was murdered by someone who objected to his blood status. I have Cosmo Malfoy's diary, that my nephews here, Hawke and Abraxus and their friends – Kinat and Romulus and Willow – discovered. I'm thinking of publishing it, or maybe having it semi fictionalised. And perhaps serialising Cosmo's story would be of greater interest to Witch Weekly than this storm in a cauldron dredged up by some doubtless malicious mind – wasn't there a boy who got a howler from the ministry for spreading lies about his class mates?"

"I never told lies, not intentionally anyway, they sent me up and I believed it!" howled Derwent "And I didn't write to Witch Weekly at all! If you like Abraxus making out with an abomination like Myrtle, I'm sick of the whole affair!"

"Dear me, Mr Derwent, I think it goes beyond what is nice to refer to Huffers as abominations" said David "You will write me an impot, please, of three repeats of the school poem to be found in the front of 'the History of Hogwarts' where the aims of the four founders is laid out."

Derwnt scowled; he had not meant to insult Hufflepuff – not that he minded insulting Hufflepuffs – but to bring Myrtle's dead state to the attention of important people like Lucius Malfoy.

Lucius had a quiet word with the boy as the others left.

"Young man, I fail to see what business it is of yours to interfere with my nephew's courageous pursuit of the girl he loves; and believe me, if I hear any more on the subject from you, you and I are going to fall out. I trust I make myself er pellucidly clear."

"Uh…yes Mr Malfoy" said Derwent, swallowing.

He knew when he was beat.

There was nothing spectacular to report; and the reporter felt it was all a wasted journey over some fetid and fevered teenage outpourings, probably because one of the people supposedly at the end of her – she was convinced it was a her – spiteful pen had been chosen to go to the Yule ball by a boy the writer had fancied. Corinne Deveaux remembered the jealousies and upsets over ball partner choices VERY well indeed! She planned to suggest just publishing David's letter in full with her own rider that the fifth form seemed on the whole a pleasant group of young people, supportive of David Fraser's attempt in the Triwizard and that she felt that his assessment of attention seeking was undoubtedly the truth of the matter.

Still, there was the chance to write about Lucius Malfoy's surprising great uncle.

She turned her attentions to getting an interview with Lucius.

"That was jolly decent of Lucius to turn attention off me by offering poor Cosmo as bait" said Myrtle.

"Yes" said Abraxus "Though I almost don't want him you know, profaned, by Witch Weekly."

"It's a poignant and moving story" said Hawke "Lucius won't let it go out until he's vetted it thoroughly; and they won't cross HIM. It'll be treated properly; and if it's done well it could raise sympathy for goblins and half goblins as well as painting the Malfoy family in a more sympathetic light. Neither of which will do any harm."

"I suppose" said Kinat "I know what Abrax feels though; I don't want Cosmo stripped naked for public foolishness."

"He's a beacon in a dark time of blood snobbery; he should be allowed to shine" said Romulus thoughtfully.

"Yeah… yeah, I guess you're right Rom" said Kinat. "That puts it in perspective."

"Rom often makes a lot of sense" said Abraxus "He might not say much but when he does, it's worth listening to."

"Oggleboggle oogle-splup" said Romulus.

Abraxus hit him.

Isabelle Yaxley was summoned to the Head's office; and though she was not formally expelled she spent the rest of her time at Hogwarts in the sick bay, and departed as soon as her parents had arrived to take her away.

"How awful not to be able to take NEWTs!" gasped Fenella "And surely I made more trouble than her?"

"YOU made trouble out of ignorance; SHE made it out of spite" said David "And therein lies a massive difference. You had Dumbledore spiel at you; he'll have tried the same with her and found her recalcitrant I fear."

"How can anyone not be moved when Professor Dumbledore reaches inside and reveals the motives one never knew one had?" said Fenella.

"A decent basic type like you, maybe that works on" said David "To Isabelle Yaxley she may be moved to anger over having been found out but that's about it."

"You'd think she'd be prepared to TRY so as to get the chance to study" said Fenella.

"My good and innocent ass" drawled Abraxus "You have the sweetly naïve attitude that study is something that everyone wants to do at school; but I assure you it is only we weirdos who feel that school is for an education rather than for making social contacts. For the Isabelle Yaxleys of this world, a socially advantageous marriage is more important than how many NEWTs she gets or does not; she does not need to spread her academic wings when all she needs to do is to spread is her legs."

"Merlin's beard, Abrax, that was coarse enough and snide enough to be worthy of Krait!" said David, a little shocked.

"Thanks, I've been studying" said Abraxus.

"And it's only too true" said Ellie "She's interested in Blood Status – which is why she shunned her supposed squib cousin and wanted her punished for existing."

"Sorry Fenella" said Kinat "Welcome to the real world where too many people are sad little gits."

"Well" said Fenella "I guess I'm grateful that I didn't end up as one of them. Thanks for all your help, everyone."

"You're welcome" said David; and he was backed up by murmurs of assent for all the Gryffindors.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Professor Dumbledore had a happy announcement to make at breakfast.

"Those of you know Madam Malfoy will be happy to hear that she gave birth overnight to a small son who apparently bids fair to be as red as a Weasley, as loud as Black and as obstreperous as a Prince, by what she has written to me" he said,, pausing for the cheers to subside. "The new addition to her family is to be named Severus Neville, and Madam Malfoy wished you to know that she wishes to" he glanced down at the letter "'honour Professor Longbottom for his incredible bravery above and beyond fighting Voldemort in taking on my maleficent and malodorous weevils and warts' as she puts it. She also writes that she is hoping to visit – with offspring – before the end of term to make the acquaintance of the first years before she begins teaching them. I'm sure we all look forward to it."

The first years were not so sure; being referred to as weevils seemed common enough but to be called maleficent and malodorous – and only a handful knew what either word meant – seemed a little unkind. However, they noticed that the second, equally castigated under that description, clapped heartily and so did Jade Snape and her coterie. The other first years clapped politely and wondered a lot.

Mei Chang approached Jem Ingate, one of the more friendly of the second years who did not mind chatting with weevils, to ask him.

"Oh Madam Malfoy is the sweetest!" said Jem "I'm a ward of hers, though, so I guess I'm biased; but she is the kindest person you could imagine, she'll go out of her way to help anyone who's in trouble. I mean, Professor Longbottom's really nice too, but…well, she can be like a mum when you need one, and she's a better teacher than him too. She knows so much! Only you better not muck about in her class, that's all because her tongue is quite as sharp as Professor Snape's to transgressors and any bloodsnob comments…phhhwwtt, woodlouse!"

"Like they say Fraser did to those Durmstrang racists?" said Mei, awed.

"She started the custom" said Jem proudly "Like she and Draco got the custom going to rise for Professors since we weren't going to let the French outdo us in courtesy. That was when Harry Potter was doing the Triwizard. I get to hear stories you see" he said smugly.

"Cool!" said Mei.

David meanwhile had got an official school website going – with help from the talented Ross Tuthill who at not yet twelve years old produced a web page design with the aplomb of a professional – to add to the illusion of normality. They ran it from a computer in Archie Trumball's police house, and Archie agreed to check the emails from time to time, delete spam and let David know if there was anything he needed to deal with.

Having a web page brought its own problems.

The Muggle post arrived occasionally now at the castle, mostly bearing requests for prospectuses from hopeful parents, begging letters from charities and glossy advertising from companies who wanted to sell expensive holidays ski-ing or yachting to rich kids. It all helped Argus Filch keep the boiler going. Some letters came to pupils from their muggle parents; previously any letters for Hogwarts had been summoned from sorting offices by ministry officials and sent on by owl, now it was another small but tedious job that did not have to be done by the ministry. It added to the load of the muggle postie of course; but Archie Trumball was sure to see he had a wee drachm 'tae keep oot the cowd on that long tramp ower the moor' to help keep him sweet; and in very poor weather, an arrangement was made that the school would pick up mail from the policehouse in Camburnath.

A letter arrived for David.

He did not know the handwriting and opened it warily.

It said,

_"Dear Fraser,_

_I got your name from the official school web page, and I believe we met very briefly when you returned some of our errant students at the train station._

_I was hoping that, as your website states you have started hockey as your main winter sport, you might like to play a friendly to end the term, to give your chaps a chance to play outsiders._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Mike Button, Head of Games, St Jodoc's."_

David sat and laughed weakly.

This on top of everything else!

At least he had put that Hockey was new to them, so the St Jodoc's crowd would not expect any tough match; and actually it was rather decent of this Mike Button to write to what he thought of as a new school without much experience in inter-school matches; some games heads only liked the kudos of playing well known and tough opposition. David remembered the boy; a cheerful and earnest lad with freckles, to whom he had taken a liking.

He wrote back without qualms and shouted for Willow to put together a team.

"What do you mean, put together a team?" demanded Willow.

"For an away fixure" said David.

"For an….David Fraser, are you telling me we're playing a muggle school?"

"Yes" said David.

"We'll be creamed" said Willow.

"Doesn't matter; we're establishing bona fides as a school" said David. "We're establishing bona fides on the academic side by confunding examiners and passing out kids with an equivalent number of 'O' levels to OWLs, and Arthur Weasley says the work forging that is so much easier than covering for all the muggle kids and those that live almost in the muggle world. It's hard to forge fixture lists though when the schools we're supposed to play we haven't. Once this St Jodoc's has us regularly to play, and we have them a few times, we'll be well away."

"You have a point" said Willow "I'm not sure we're ready but I guess we'll have to rise to a challenge. I'll put you on right defence, you're dependable. It is a whole school thing I take it, every house?"

"We have Ravenclaws?"

"Well I hardly count them – except that group of Mei Chang's little horrors – as school, because Ravenclaws are interested in the honour of Ravenclaw House not the honour of the school."

"You sound like a character out of the Chalet School" teased David.

"I'll take THAT as a compliment" said Willow loftily.

David wrote back a friendly letter to Mike Button, thanking him for his kindness in being prepared to play what was still a very rough first eleven, and hoped that Mike was aware that Hogwarts was a mixed school and would be able to provide separate accommodation for the girls on the team.

_"If not, perhaps you can put up some rough screens in a dorm; the girls are very eager to play and say they don't mind roughing it with us male oiks if they have to_" he wrote.

He got a telegram by return.

_"OOPS didn't realise girls arranging things"_

Willow hustled to put together a team, which had to include those prepared to play muggles; some balked, not out of prejudice but more from a fear of giving themselves away. Most however were prepared to rise to the challenge and looked upon the experience as good fun. Of the upper sixth were Gryffindors Kelvin Strelland, who was Willow's deputy of muggle games, a handsome black boy whose twin sister Kate played cricket but could raise no enthusiasm for hockey; and Ian Kell, an erratic player but brilliant when on form. Willow put him in right midfield where his erratic play could even be an advantage at times; he could come forward to score if he was having a brilliant moment and Kelvin, on right attack, would back him. Another upper sixth, Slytherin Geoff Falkner, was to be goalie; he was a dependable goalie as he had been a dependable soldier under David with a Kalashnikov. Geoff had been part of the Lana Porteous gang until he had let out a boggart at Sirius Black, and Severus had taken the boy surreptitiously to Azkaban and made him spend five minutes in Sirius' cell to appreciate what he had done. Geoff had apologised unreservedly and had been a great follower of Sirius from that moment.

Willow herself was planning on playing centre midfield, the most challenging position in many ways, since she was a good all rounder and could defend or attack as need be. The other midfielder, on the left would be Charlie Trout, another fifth year, a Hufflepuff, who was small, fast and versatile. Two other lower sixth apart from David were to play, Hugh Hullit, Gryffindor, who as the other defensive player should complement his friend David very well; and Elizabeth Searle, another Hufflepuff on the wing. On the other wing was Jamie White, another Hufflepuff in the fifth to whom Charlie fed balls very well; Kelvin's opposite number in attack was to be Hawke Malfoy whose play could best be described as aggressive, rather like Kelvin's; and for the centre, Willow chose with only brief hesitation Elisa Mourne. Elisa had not been a member of the MSHG for as long as most of the others; but she had embraced its tenets well, and she had been playing hockey no less time than the rest, and showed real talent.

Abraxus would be the reserve.

There were others more talented than Abraxus; but none who could fit in to any position with relative ease, nor get on so well with the various personalities on the team as well. Once she took David the team list, he telegrammed to Mike Button that the final team included three girls including the team captain Willow Prince plus also their coach who was willing to bunk down with the other girls.

After all, Willow should be given credit for training them.

Madam Jones was to go with the team as their coach; whilst cricket was her main love, she had played hockey at her own school and had been willing to help Willow get the team together; she was looking forward to it no end, especially on the good feeling of having got through a term teaching without mishap, and the promise that over the holidays a team would be heading for Berlin to avenge her sister.

The hockey team was to go to play and return for the Yule Ball, which the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang contingent would also attend. David did not much like this idea, though it did give him a chance to see more of Karl and make sure he was holding together about defecting.

David was delighted to find that other schools also had their problems, maybe not quite as unique as those at Hogwarts but in their way equally embarrassing. They were met off the train by Mike Button and Games Master Brian Yelland, who explained that Offstead had arrived unexpectedly to inspect the school

"And a thunderingly inconvenient time it is too" he growled "With a match on and rather scratch accommodation for your young ladies and now one of my team has gone down with measles – AFTER you'd have got on the train. I shan't blame you if you want to cancel."

"Only if it's inconveniencing you to have us, sir" said David "We've all had measles I believe?" he looked around and everyone obediently nodded.

Not all of them knew what measles were, but they knew to follow David's cue!

"Thank goodness!" sighed Mr Yelland "No, we're happy to have YOU it's those blasted officials, pardon my French."

"They can be a little trying" said David "A seriously disturbed girl tried to make trouble by writing to them about 'unnatural practices' in the fifth; we had them crawling all over us until they were satisfied it was just a spite campaign against this girl's cousin and her friends. Very distressing."

"Yes, I think your head is brave to have girls too" said Yelland with a total lack of tact.

"Oh mostly they're no trouble" said David grinning at the girls. They all made faces at him, to Mike Button's amusement.

When they got to the school they were introduced to the rest of the first eleven; one of whom had a fine crop of spots.

"Not you too, Dave?" groaned Yelland.

"It's NOT measles sir!" said the boy Dave "It was that wretched seaweed we were cutting up in biology; I'm allergic to it."

"Thank goodness that's all!" said his master. The boy was heard to mutter,

"Fuck fucus"

The girls had been put into a ward in the sanatorium for the duration of their stay, and professed themselves quite happy with this arrangement, separated from the measled boy by screens round his bed. The Offstead officials were dubious but Miss Jones fixed them with a steely eye and told them that her 'gels' were quite prepared to be flexible in the light of an unforeseen outbreak of illness and that she was quite sure that the Matron of St Jodoc's was more than equal to keeping an eye on them and that as she would be sharing a room with Matron, so too would she.

The Offstead officials quailed before the beautifully rounded tones of a public school schoolmarm.

They would stay overnight and play on the morrow; and Mike Button caught hold of David last thing and said,

"Look here old man, I've heard a nasty rumour that the juniors are planning to spike your breakfast with exlax….tell your chaps not to have any chocolate spread or chocolate cereal, okay?"

"Will do" said David "Juniors! They're all the same!"

"Rather nasty though" said Mike "Of course they haven't thought about it being cheating; I'm going to collar hold of them first thing though and see if I can stop it, and explain how dishonourable it is."

David nodded.

"At that age most naughtiness is more a lack of thought of consequences; don't feel bad about it!"

"Thanks; I'd hate you to think on our first fixture that we rear nasty little cheats!" said Mike.

"That you feel that way about it tells me that you don't" said David.

They slept well, mixed in amongst other dormitories of St Jodoc's boys, and as none but the upper sixth were old enough to use wands in the holidays had no trouble adapting to combing hair and washing in the morning without resorting to grooming spells. Mike disappeared off to see the juniors; and came back laughing.

"Panic over; the brats were highly indignant that anyone should think for a moment that they would target a visiting team. It was the Offstead officials they surreptitiously poisoned at tea last night" he said. "Dear me, and it's a long train journey to anywhere….one shouldn't laugh…"

David grinned.

"But the thought of disrupting officious officials is really too much not to laugh over" he chuckled "So long of course as one keeps a straight and stern face in front of the juniors!"

"Oh absolutely….ow, it hurts!" laughed Mike.

It was further confirmation that there was no big difference between magical and muggle children!

The Hogwarts contingent were glad that Krait had bullied them into the habit of standing for staff.

They would have felt humiliated by the nice manners of the St Jodoc's boys otherwise. As it was they rose for the staff as politely as the Cornish boys as they entered; and also while they left. The sung grace was not a total surprise, as David had warned them it was likely; and that they did not know the Latin words was easily explained by other customs. They remained standing in polite silence for it; then fell to on breakfast with alacrity like the others, before going to change

The juniors might have proven to be mostly harmless; but there had been some nasty tricks played, however.

A boy called Travis Michaels pulled out his kit to find it cut to shreds.

He looked fit to cry.

"Hey, Travis, don't worry, some of us have spare kit" said Mike, quietly.

"Is your stick all right?" asked David "We have a spare if anyone's trashed that…"

"I think….yes, it seems to be" said Travis. David wordlessly, wandlessly cast the mending charm just in case. It could do no harm.

"I assure you none of my team would do this" he said.

"No; and I've a shrewd idea who might have done it too" said Mike. "Travis is our second reserve; one of our team was…asked to resign from it over a matter. D'you think your reserve would watch Travis' kit for him on the bench?"

"Course I will Mike" said Abraxus "This is something all men of honour need to stand together on."

.

The St Jodoc's team was good; even with two reserves in, and Willow's team were struggling to hold their own. Abraxus shouted for them of course, as did Madam Jones.

"Another time when there's more time to arrange things perhaps you'll be able to bring a crowd of enthusiasts to cheer you on" said Brian Yelland, smiling warmly at Madam Jones.

"That would be pleasant" said Leticia, smiling austerely back and moving slightly so his hand was no longer brushing hers. Yelland was plainly quite pleased with himself and had put on enough aftershave to be looked at quite suspiciously by his own team until they caught him looking at Madam Jones and sniggered. Leticia had no intention of permitting him to consider her a conquest for one minute

A St Jodoc's boy came to sit beside Abraxus.

"Hello old boy, name's Russel Kent… that your twin out there?"

"Yes" said Abraxus "Abraxus Malfoy; my brother's Hawke. He's picked up the game really well; Willow's no end chuffed with how well we all picked it up, she's the only one who's ever played at all before this term."

"Your chaps play well then! Aren't you at all resentful you're the reserve and your brother is on the team?"

"No, why should I be?" said Abraxus "He's the better player; and the school deserves the best, you know!"

"Huh, they don't take that attitude here!" said Kent.

"Oh?" said Abraxus, mildly.

"No; they exclude a fellow from the team for a bit of fun" he said.

Abraxus was not perhaps quite so skilled a legilimens as his twin; but he was more skilled than most adult wizards. And the resentment boiling in this boy's mind over being thrown off the team for running a poker school in the boiler room was a dirty, unpleasant thing.

"Perhaps what some chaps call fun others might think dishonourable" he said, mildly.

"Oh that's just so much pap!" said Kent scornfully. "Well, well, nice talking to you."

He had been holding a bottle of drink he had put down; and now picked up Travis Michael's drink instead from next to it. Abraxus narrowed his eyes; a switching spell without a wand was going to be tricky to do without words; so he switched to Parseltongue, which could be passed off as tuneless whistling.

He saw the St Jodoc's goalie's eyes swivel to him in shock and knew that the boy saw the bottles swap over.

He looked at the boy thoughtfully; but there was no time for any more, as the Hogwarts' team was in possession and the goalie was thoroughly busy for a while.

At half time the goalie was at the bench fast.

"Why did you switch that bottle?" he demanded.

"Because the other boy already switched it with sleight of hand and I didn't trust him" said Abraxus calmly "His name is Russel Kent. Mean anything to you?"

The goalie whistled.

"He was kicked off the team; we weren't told why" he said "But it must have been something pretty bad."

"What he called 'a bit of fun'" said Abraxus.

"Gambling again? I thought he'd had enough of a wigging about that in the fourth!" said the Goalie "- Lee Nuffield, by the way."

"Abraxus Malfoy, the quiet one of the Malfoy twins" said Abraxus "Which our professors reckon isn't saying a lot."

The others had come over.

"I - what you did…" said Lee.

"Look, Lee, I think you ought to talk to David; he's got more experience about how to talk about…such things" said Abraxus. "And then you'll understand more."

The game resumed; and the team were undisturbed by the sudden illness of Russel Kent who was taken away sweating and vomiting.

Presumably he had hoped to play if his noxious solution had achieved the same effect on the innocent Travis Michaels. Abraxus had no sympathy for him whatsoever.

It was, unsurprisingly, a victory for St Jodoc's; and Willow was pleased to hold them to eleven goals to eight. The teams shook hands most convivially.

"For a new team, you've an awful lot of promise" said Mike "And most of your players are quite young too for a first team; I'm sure the younger members of our team will expect to have to really play up next year!"

"Oh I hope so" said Willow "I've another three years in school myself so I shall bully them well into shape!"

Mike laughed, for her tone was light hearted, and he could see her team respected her!

Lee, as suggested by Abraxus, approached David.

"Fraser, I'm Nuffield; I don't suppose you got all our names! I was talking to the kid with the weird name, Abraxus…"

"It's a family name" said David "Old family from Wiltshire, weirder names and more family secrets than any other in England I think"

Lee Nuffield laughed.

"And will you think me barmy if I ask if one of their family secrets is using the language snakes talk?"

David was all ears.

"So" he said "You are a Parselmouth."

"What?"

"It's what we call those of us who speak it…**_SSSS_**_we be of one blood, ye and I_**_ SSSS_**" he added.

"Kipling too?"

"Why not? My guardian has hypothesised that Kipling may have been a Parselmouth himself, and a sensitive into the bargain."

"A sensitive?"

"One who sees….things."

"Like Abraxus muttering something that sounded like a spell and two bottles swapping places?"

"A switching charm…he's underage, he shouldn't cast in front of…you people."

"He did it for the sake of our team…Kent tried to poison Michaels, and drank what he'd prepared himself thanks to Abraxus. That's sportsmanship, especially if it gets him into trouble."

"Fortunately some of the team are over age and we have an adult witch with us; the ministry of Magic knows we're here and will assume any magic is to cover our unusual talents."

"Ministry of…this is going by way fast."

"You're a Parselmouth; I'm not about to pass up knowing someone with that talent and we have limited time."

"Is that how you learned to play so well so fast? Magic?"

"Hell, no!" David was outraged "That would be cheating…it's all the sweat of our brows and Willow shouting!"

"I'm glad of that….so your whole school…."

"Is Hogwarts school of wizards and witches, the only British wizarding school; hiding with magic is getting harder so we hide through obviousness. You can't believe how taken aback I was to get a fixture offer!" said David.

Lee grinned.

"I'll bet! What do wizards normally play then?"

"Quidditch; it's kind of a cross between basketball, tennis and attempts to cause grievous bodily harm whilst flying on brooms. I'll take you to a match" said David, adding suddenly "I say…Nuffield….do you have a small relative called Bryony?"

"My kid cousin. Why?"

"She'll be coming to Hogwarts, she's more than a sensitive, she has talent; she escaped from her parents and got into – well, a magical place – last year" said David "She's a Parselmouth too; you can help prepare her if you will."

"All right. I say, can I write to you?"

"I'd really like that; and in the hols I'll see about showing you some wizarding places. Not these Hols; I'll be a bit tied up with other commitments" he added, thinking of the trip to Berlin "But at Easter perhaps. And maybe we'll be playing you at cricket too! Willow's been harrying us into that since last summer so we're not quite such duffers as we still are at hockey!"

Lee grinned.

"I look forward to it!" he declared sincerely. "Do you need to be a Parselmouth to er, cast spells?"

"Oh no; it's rare, even in the wizarding world. We sort of half kidnapped a kid called Crispin who's a distant cousin of yours – D'Aubrey his surname is – because of it, when he came to get on the wrong train. The sensitives get attracted, you see and, er, sometimes we keep them. Like you got one less chap back last September because we kept one!"

"Cheeky!"

"Yup!" agreed David cheerfully. "Anyway, you asked about casting; a lot of it's based on Latin. Abraxus had to get creative I guess to keep cover; casting without a wand is pretty challenging, lots of adults can't do it, and wordlessly too with something as subtle as a switching charm would have been tough. But Parseltongue is a magical language and will stand in for Latin."

"I'm good at Latin."

"Good; keep it up and maybe we'll get you somewhere. There's a whole range of ability, we recently discovered between magical and muggle – non magical; and you might even be a late developer, that the Book takes no account of. But even as a sensitive, there's a job waiting for you teaching the non magical relatives in a new school we'll be starting next September"

"Well, after university."

"We don't have university; if you're reckoned good enough by the head, you're good enough. Anyway, got to go; keep in touch!"

There was a whole genetic legacy of the Gaunts, Peverells and Slytherin out there in the depths of the fens it seemed.

Back in school everyone who knew her was delighted when Madam Malfoy whirled in covered in children. She visited the first in their potions class, shoved the newborn with his tuft of red hair into Jade Snape's arms – as though haphazardly, but of course to give Jade a chance to hold her new brother – dumped Richard and a bag of toys in one of the big cauldrons and pointed Lilith to a stool where the little girl obediently scrambled up with her crayons and book and stuck out her tongue in thought – fortunately not partially transfigured – as she read

"Emma is a witch. See Emma brew. Stir the brew Emma; stir, Emma stir. See Emma's brew" before she came to a page of printed cauldrons and the words

"Emma's brew is:" – and a different colour written under each cauldron for her to colour in. Krait was pioneering new reading and work books for young wizarding folk and this was one of them. Lilith enjoyed her work books, though she was ready to move on to something a bit more complex now she was a big girl of four with TWO baby brothers.

Krait flitted around the class, nodding at well prepared potions, wincing at poor ones, asking names where she did not know them.

"Mr Weasley!" she said – the boy could only be a Weasley – and Roger looked up startled, having heard many a story of his relatives and disasters in the potion dungeon "Mr Weasley, well done; if your work is usually of this standard, you surpass many of your relatives. Indeed by your tidy layout I'd say you have the talent that is so miss-spent by Fred and George with a carefulness that could make you a really decent potioneer. I am very pleased!"

"Thank you Ma'am" managed Roger.

"I have to say, Professor Longbottom" said Krait "You appear to have a class that is virtually devoid of dunderheads; almost a first I should say, unless it is your excellent methods of teaching,"

"No, just sheer luck" said Neville "But then, there's only one who shines, though Mr Weasley is not alone in being promising, Miss Tuthill and Miss Bloom and Miss Barnett are by no means despicable; and Mr Tuthill manages to get more out of his cauldron than anyone expected."

"Congratulations, Mr Tuthill; that in a way is a greater achievement than to be talented from within the wizarding world" said Krait quietly. "I'm also told that your lessons in chemistry to Mr Dell have improved his er, unholy concatenations into something recognisably of some potential value as potions. That's Snape talk for he's improved" she added.

Ross grinned.

"Dell had a few blind spots" he said "I've been glad to help where I can."

"And for that if not for your sake I'm glad Mr Fraser argued fast to let you stay" said Krait. "If learning some muggle chemistry is what it takes to improve our potioneers, Mr Tuthill, I can see you teaching it as a remedial subject here one day where your experience of brewing potions too will be invaluable. You are keeping up your chemistry studies?"

"Yes Professor Malfoy; and when the lab is completed at Rowan House I can go there to do practicals, Professor Snape said."

"Excellent!" approved Krait "Has that child leaked, Miss Snape? Here, I'll sort him out…" which she proceeded to do.

The first were favourably impressed!


	11. Chapter 11

_Just a warning of gratuitous coarse language later in the chapter and even more gratuitous film quoting_**  
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**Chapter 11**

David was in charge of the Yule decorations for the Ball as well as more generally; and wondered if it was unworthy to want to stun the foreigners, especially the Durmstrang crowd with their excellence. He recalled the French team had boasted in the last task of having wood nymphs as part of their decorations that sang to the students as they ate; one must assume therefore that wood nymphs were subject to the same kinds of vanities as fairies, who loved being used as decorations. Fairies would be a good start; and he roped in the young marauders to find plenty and asked Romulus to train them, as he had trained the ones to tease the Malfoy twins, to spell out words of good will in their dances. This pleased the Young Marauders mightily as a change from the daily round that wasn't even forbidden.

"Though I have to say it's almost immoral" said Kinat as they trudged through the snow looking for fairy nesting places to bribe them with warmth, honey, mead and adulation.

"Why? Fairies enjoy it" said Hawke.

"Doing something officially sanctioned, I meant" said Kinat "We're the Marauders; doing something fun that we've actually been asked to do by our revered head boy is almost immoral in its very lawfulness."

There was a long silence while the rest digested that statement.

"He has a point" said Romulus.

"Of course; it's rude to point and no-one's ruder than Kinat" said Abraxus.

"I think" said Hawke "It's not immoral to do something that's officially sanctioned so long as it's fun too. Especially at our advanced age."

With that piece of sophistry they felt much better.

David asked permission to go into Glasgow; and proceeded to buy muggle Christmas decorations as the start of his display. Several dozen cans of spray snow later, and plastic icicles he felt ready for the transfiguration that would bring them close to the real thing but with a non-melting charm to hold them looking pristine. Bells to decorate Christmas trees with he enchanted to play tinkling Christmas music, asking Jade to help to intertwine harmonies; and then he asked Seagh to add to the effect with fey glamour that those of the blood group would see through after using Severus' true seeing lotion; but the visitors certainly would not. Seagh grinned happily, delighted to be called upon to use his own special skills; and the great Hall became a snowy glade with deer passing shyly through the edges and the occasional glimpse of a fey hunt passing in the distance.

"Magnificent" said David.

"Weel, it wouldnae hae been sae guid wi'oot yer snow-scene tae build on" said Seagh, flushing with pleasure nonetheless. "Glamour needs SOMETHING tae hang it on; and it was really awfu' easy wi' the impression ye were already creating. Can I suggest ye mak' the icicles play tunes too like a glockenspiel?"

"Good point" said Jade "I can handle that, David, if you like; will you have Seagh here as a fey piper to bring in the roast?"

"Yes" said David "I've a picture in mind, by Janet and Anne Grahame-Johnson, muggle artists…"

"I know the picture" said Jade "It's in one of my books…he's much like our Seagh to look at, with wild white-blonde locks, a tam-o-shanter and artistically ragged with bare feet. You so will look fey in that, Seaghsron Snape!"

Seagh grinned.

He had taken easily to the pipes and really enjoyed the thought of piping in the roast to amaze the foreign students.

"Dancing aboon the floor?" he asked.

"Damn right if you can do it" said David.

Seagh began to jig; and jigged up, as though up an invisible ramp.

"It's a fey thing" he said.

"Make it so" said David.

"Aye-aye captain" murmured Jade ironically.

The French were particularly impressed, exclaiming in delight at the snow-scene indoors – with no impairment to the ambient temperature – and the tinkling, ringing tunes, and the fairies dancing.

"Exquisite!" proclaimed Madame Maxime "You 'ave a better relationsheep wiz your local fey zan some, zen Dumblydore?"

"Oh our fey know what they may do and what they may not" said Dumbledore "And some are friendly enough. David has done an excellent job!"

"I had help sir; the Marauders and Jade and Seagh Snape mucked in too" said David "And juniors ran errands and carried greenery with a will. Even Peeves held things from time to time and didn't drop any curses on them – I did check" he added.

Durmstrang showed less appreciation of the decorations; but various illegal uses of legilimensy had the new Marauders reporting gleefully to David that they were seriously rattled by that level and complexity of ongoing illusion.

The introduction of the roast by a fey piper, dancing as he played several feet above the ground caused several visitors to drop their cups of butterbeer. The haunting strains of 'Walking in the air' came from the boy's Gaelic pipes, subtly different in tone to the more familiar Scots bagpipe; and from one of the chanters issued an unearthly sounding disembodied voice singing the words.

Those who had heard Krait Malfoy sing the Corrs song she had chosen at the long ago talent concert when Convolvumort made his first appearance recognised her voice; and stopped talking to listen. Krait's voice was richer now than it had been then, trained by using it in chanting rituals, using her diaphragm as opera singers do too for the greater control and richer timbre.

The hall was in silence as the song and its accompanying pipes soared as the wild boy danced on, spiralling in his dance up to the ceiling; and on the last note vanishing utterly several seconds before the music faded.

The French began a crashing applause to which the British youngsters joined in.

"I forgot how damn good her voice is" said Willow, tears streaming down her face with sheer emotion.

"The kid did a damn good show too" said Hawke "That was beautiful playing; he's worked hard – here he is, Seagh my lad, you played your almond rocks off there, we're all bloody proud of you!" Seagh had changed quickly back into uniform and with his locks tamed looked more a young Malfoy than a wild fey child.

"Mah WHAT?"

"Almond rocks – socks"

"I wis aye barefoot" said Seagh.

"An expression of appreciation" said Hawke "Saying you played like you never played before….HOW they peered to see how you managed to jig as though on solid ground!"

"Och, tae me it's a' the same; ah have tae work harder fer the bitty part o' me that's human but it's nae trrouble" said Seagh. He had vanished into the other place that he called 'fadeplace' and listened to the shocked comments of how it was achieved by, particulalrly, the German staff. He was mightily pleased with himself; and his fellow Slytherin were too, especially when Dumbledore murmured,

"Fifty points to Slytherin for all their help to make this gathering so spectacular!"

The two champions from the other schools converged on David to ask if he had opened the next clue yet.

"Well it wasn't much of a challenge, was it?" said David "Once one realised the pattern the dots required it was easy."

Alain blinked.

"I finally figured it out yesterday" he said. "'Ow did you manage to do it so queekly?"

Karl was looking horrified; and David guessed he had not managed to open his yet.

The Head boy shrugged.

"Well, the only thing it could be was a Wenlock series" he said "Once the shape started changing I knew I was right. It is all right to talk about that, isn't it? So long as we don't discuss what tactics we're going to use for each of the parts of the challenge."

Alain shrugged.

"Once ze secret of 'ow to open it is known it is no secret; and zen, as you say, it ees down to individual choice of 'ow one 'andles each element" he said. "'Oo is your dearest?"

"My girlfriend Ellie I should think" said David. "Yours?"

"My girlfriend also – she was one 'oo applied" he indicated a pretty French girl. "Rosette and I know each ozzer long time. And 'oo is dearest to our German competitor?"

He made the word 'German' sound like an insult.

"My kid sister" said Karl quietly "She's all the family I have."

Alain looked at him anew.

"Per'aps you are not as bad as some" he said thoughtfully "You fear for 'er, yes?"

"I….do not that thought want to be putting in words" said Karl.

Alain nodded.

"Eh bien" he said

"It's an opportunity" said David softly.

Karl stared at him; then grinned a fierce grin.

"I will nothing know" he said firmly.

David nodded.

"Best not to."

David spoke to the new marauders later about spiriting away Karl's little sister.

"Not a problem" said Abraxus "And all the while, you're alibi'd."

"You on the inside; us on the outside" said Hawke.

"Only way it can work" said Kinat in his best Lee VanCleef voice.

David laughed.

"Sometimes I wish we'd never introduced films to the MSHG he said "You're all dreadful."

"But we can have obscure conversations that wizards won't pick up on by using oblique references" said Hawke "As good in its way as Parseltongue!"

"That is a point" admitted David. It was actually a very good point!

The ball might have gone more smoothly had not Baddock and Pritchard spent the first part jiggling about as if they had St Vitus' dance; and in the end Severus told them to go to their dormitory if they couldn't manage not to wriggle like doxies on heat.

"Our clothes have been cursed to itch sir!" complained Baddock.

"Then go somewhere I don't have to see you and take them off" said Severus "And send them to the house elves for washing too with a note pinned on to check for curses if you're not competent of dealing with such yourself!"

That was an unfair comment and he knew it; since he strongly suspected itching powder, and did not want to know the culprits since he strongly suspected one of them was Jade.

In which assumption the Head of Slytherin House was only partially correct; Jade had known about the great itching jape but had not actually taken part in it. It was a plan entirely of the Dell-Tuthill gang, as the group was beginning to be known, the powder purchased through the muggle parcel post in discreet quantities by Mary-Anne, Callum, Alice, Tamsin Clintock and the two Tuthills; and applied to the underwear of the biggest bullies in the school by Cynner, Melody and Lionel Dell, being the Slytherin of the group. Tim Barnett complained of being left out; and Jade and Seagh had been roped in to help smuggle him to a place to overlook the ball, covered by Glamour, to photograph the futile struggles of the itching bullies.

He used a whole film and went gleefully to develop them in wizarding chemicals – with Ross and Callum to help him – in their full moving glory. He ran off enough copies for all his group and posted enlargements gleefully around the school.

It was a most excellent coup!

Baddock and Pritchard did not think so however; and threats were issued that when whoever had done this was caught it would be the worse for them.

Since the young Snapes could be relied on not to split, and the gang hung close they did not anticipate anyone being caught; as the Slytherin members asked friends to hold THEIR copies until they could take them home! Even if the two bullies searched most assiduously they would find nothing in House Slytherin to indict any of the culprits!

David did not care; he enjoyed dancing with his dear Ellie as often as he could between having to be polite to others, especially visitors.

He pointedly did NOT invite the girl Irmtraut to dance – he knew she would refuse to even touch a mudblood anyway – and asked Madam Maxime instead.

The huge woman was remarkably light on her feet and David enjoyed the dance more than he had expected.

He did not however invite Madame Bacsó to dance.

He asked Minerva McGonagall instead and asked the band for a reel.

"Cheeky wee naif that ye are" said Minerva, twinkling.

"It's one of my more endearing features, Minerva" said David, bowing floridly.

"Aye, and doubly cheeky tae use ma name" she said.

"Ah, but how can I dance so well with my house head if I cannot flirt with her a little?" said David. "I have to keep Ellie on her toes by making her jealous."

"Huh, and it's glad I am I ken fine that you're joking" said Minerva. "You've no' turned out sae bad, David mah laddie; no' sae bad at a'."

The end of term was a relief for David, even with two self-imposed tasks within it, seeking the wizards who had killed Araminta Jones and rescuing a Gryffon.

For the first he was going with a small team; Sirius was to lead it, leaving Severus time to be with a still easily-tired Krait; Leticia Jones insisted on being along, Willow would never let her Padfoot go without her, Neville and Sephara had both volunteered. Erich was also coming, partly because he knew the language and had its idiom instinctively; and mostly because he too wanted to strike at Odessa. He was, he said seriously, representing the Snapes since Willow was more mentally Madam Padfoot in some ways. Ellie wanted to go with David.

"Well we shan't have to pick a fight anyway if you do come" said Sirius "THEY'll pick out you're half goblin even if nobody else even notices or gives a damn."

"That's a compliment from Padfoot" translated Willow "Tact isn't his long suit."

Ellie laughed.

"Oh I think we've all been blooded long enough for me to know what Padfoot means" she said "And he's right. What I need to ask is, does that mean you all want me out so you can pick the time and place of sorting them out?"

"Bollocks to that" said Sirius "Let's go in, see who objects to you and blow them apart!"

"It has a certain naïve charm" murmured Willow in a Severus-sort of voice. Sirius poked her; and she sat on his knee.

"Got a better idea?" he said.

"Let the best duellists among us accept challenges that THEY think will be weighted and THEN blow them the fuck up in detail" she said "Less messy than all out brawling in a Beer Keller."

"Well…maybe" said Sirius "But we may not have that option; they may just attack out of hand you know."

"We could TRY for some finesse first though dear" said Willow "I know you Gryffs think with your bollocks but can we try a Slytherin cerebral way first? And also set up a magical circle before we even go in that's a race line not an age line, so if they try to escape they get blown back in for us to deal with…"

"Now that, I like a lot" Sirius said, grinning "It keeps Erich in as well of course, but…."

"I wasn't planning on leaving until we had finished anyway" said Erich "And then the circle you will in any case cancel."

The Beer Keller in Berlin was a dingy looking place enchanted with muggle repelling spells like the Leaky Cauldron that most muggles did not even see it. They quietly and without fuss set up a circle right round it, round the whole city block in fact to make sure it was contiguous and to make matters certain with a known and easy ritual set an age line that would keep them in as well until dispelled since the age they set was one hundred and fifty.

"Which jolly well ought to catch everyone" said David.

"And if we do get stuck and can't dispell it, the elf style apparation ought to get us out" said Neville cheerfully.

"We set it up; of course we can dispell it" said Sirius, firmly. "Right, are we going on in?"

They walked into the bar.

It occurred to David that if any of the other new marauders had been there, they would probably have been accompanied by the chink of illusory spurs.

He had caught Kinat practising twirling him wand on getting it out an before putting away like a western gunfighter with a six-shooter; and Romulus had bought a dark green poncho.

"All we need is Hawke saying 'prepare three coffins…my mistake, make that four" he muttered to Ellie.

Ellie giggled.

"Yes, but from anybody but the Bloodgroup that would be a cliché" she said. "We're going to kill them; and that's what we're here for. Because we can't let them get away with killing our own. It's revenge, it's uncivilised and we still have to do it."

Several pairs of unfriendly eyes gazed on the newcomers.

"Listen boy, d'you realise that that female you're with is part goblin?" said a big blonde man.

"Well actually yes" said David "Do you realise that I find a comment like that rather offensive?"

"Britisher" said the big man "so your blood status is also in question no doubt?"

"Oh there's no question about MY blood status" said David. "I'm a mudblood and proud of it. You want to make something of that, or will you just sit there smelling of stale sour cabbage and looking ugly?"

They wanted to pick a fight after all.

Willow was muttering something about Gryffindors.

"I call you out for that and for being an offensive abomination; and in that I honour you above your filthy blood status" growled the man.

"Fine; have you a piste?" asked David.

"Out back"

The piste was in the back of the Keller, through a massive iron bound door and was probably in wizarding space. David mounted through the protective line that prevented spells either affecting onlookers or onlookers casting into the duelling area. He felt a tingle in his blood; and knew how the duels were fixed. Any without near pure status were attacked by the piste itself with an energy draining spell. He drew on the group; and the spell itself wavered, its programming unsure how to classify his blood status.

He faced his opponent.

"Be just like Devil's canyon back home" called Ellie softly; and David grinned.

He missed having Draco around quoting Star Wars in and out of context.

The big bloodsnob fired off his first spell; or tried to. David blocked it before he had got as far as '_Cru….'_

"Make a habit of using the cruciatus curse on mudbloods do you?" asked David pleasantly "You might have met a friend of mine, Araminta Jones."

"Oh yes, that's who the other one looks like; I remember her. Wriggled VERY nicely. I'll see if her sister does when I've killed you, puppy."

"Woof. Woof, woof. That's my other dog impression" said David, silently and with scarce a flip of his wand casting the tarantallegra curse. It made people angry as well as being funny.

The big wizard took a moment to dispell his frantically dancing legs and shouted

"_imped…._"

David blocked it again before it came out. Was this wizard so reliant on the advantage of the energy sap that he had become slow and careless? He would surely speed up soon, seeing that he had to do so, for he was as much danger as most third years!

As much danger as most blooded third years, the thought came clearly to his mind. The wizard was horrified that David was blocking before he even got the words out; and yet to the senior members of the MSHG that was an easy matter, this man's thoughts easy to read even without being a great legilimens. To David, occlumensy was just something one did, and learned a little legilimensy on the side. It never occurred to him that occlumensy was considered a difficult skill, studied by few and perfected by less.

The German wizard kept throwing spells – or trying to – and David kept blocking. He cast annoyance level spells back; the bat-bogey hex, the slug-vomiting hex and the jelly-leg jinx.

The man was good enough to negate each quickly; but not quick enough to get protective spells up before a wordlessly casting young wizard to whom a wand was a minor adjunct not always to be used had made them take effect.

David was laughing.

He was suddenly aware of it, that scornful, mocking laughter that had a component of tightly controlled anger was pouring out of his mouth. He controlled it; good, it was no curse, just his own body's reaction.

And then he saw in his opponent's mind the formation of the only way he could think of to stop this irritating laughing mudblood.

And with a twitch of his wand in a circle and thought of the word 'speculum' David had a mirror in place as the man screamed desperately

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

And then he died in a flash of green light as the reflection of his own killing curse hit him.

He looked remarkably surprised.

"Kill them!" screamed another wizard; and David, knowing that surprise was everything here, promptly went dog and leaped at the leader's throat.

He was worried about Miss Jones.

He did not have to be.

Leticia shouted

"Here's MY magic wand – and this is for my sister!" and started blazing with the broom handle Mauser she had produced from inside her cloak.

It was an efficient enough weapon in an enclosed space at close quarters; though David winced as a shot grazed his cheek and he wished she was a better shot.

The leader hardly needed shooting, after all; he was having difficulty breathing, let alone casting spells without a throat and his carotid arteries draining away in a rust flavoured and scented stream.

David the dog hastily turned back into David the wizard.

The others had mopped up the opposition and Willow was quietly casting a _stupefy_ spell on an overwrought Leticia who was still pulling the trigger uselessly on an empty magazine and sobbing wildly.

It would be cathartic to her once she had had a good cry back home; but now she was a bit of a liability.

Undertrained, thought David.

And in some ways we're almost overtrained, his thoughts added.

Good.

If we are to run against ODESSA we need to be. Soon my thoughts will slow to normal and I will feel again and not be a killing machine. Do I want to spend my life doing this?

He answered himself, yes I do because maybe then my children – Ellie's children – may not have to. But we will still train them to be able to in the hopes they never have to.

It was over; they were coming down, and Neville was automatically casting _Accio_ on bullets and cartridge cases. This section was all in wizarding space; the beer keller was muggle resistant, nor problem from the efficient muggle German police, in this part of Berlin only one step away from the infamous and now defunct stazi. The ODESSA equivalent of the Gestapo then? They would find one with his throat ripped out – make that two, he thought, noting that Sirius had copied him – one killed with his own wand and eight others. Two shot; but would they recognise that? Even if they did, bullets were anonymous – if the scene was sanitised. Erich had scorned to use his wand and had broken the neck of one; the other five had died at the hands of his friends' wands.

"We should have brought odd spare wands we collected from deatheaters" he said.

"Huh, they'll not get much" said Willow "Neville and I used the full body bind on four of them and slit their throats; and Sephara and Ellie hit the last one over the head with bottles. If he lives I'll be surprised but I don't like to kill an unconscious man."

"Let me dear" said Sirius, holding out his hand for her wicked little scout knife.

Willow looked away. Sometimes she was so hard outside one forgot she could be so gentle at times.

"You're right, by the way, Fido" said Sirius "And my bad as team leader; we SHOULD have brought spare wands. Fortunately everyone seemed to realise it at once and we used alternate measures. Anything more we need to do here?"

"You've bled from a _diffindo_ type spell, Willow's nose is bleeding; get that stopped then move into the bar. We need to clean up all the blood and make sure there's none to use as ritual….and in case they've got forensic wand tracers I'm going to use the muggle method" said David, producing a bottle of bleach from his capacious cloak pocket. "It denatures blood; I defy them to pick up on THAT. And then to all intents and purposes, this nasty group will have been killed by muggles. And they won't know who to blame."

"They might attack their muggle neighbours of course" said Sirius.

"They'll have a legilimens in first to find out who and how" said David "And find they know nothing about it. Hello, is that the barkeep?"

The barkeeper was in a huddle on the floor moaning faintly.

"Hit the age line" said Willow "I know what that feels like; even when it's only one of one's own missiles tossed out."

"Kill me, please kill me!" howled the unfortunate man "When they find me I'll be tortured!"

"We'll take you out of here if you like" said Erich "I know a place you will be safe."

"Nowhere is truly safe from them" moaned the man. "Where?"

"Well now, if you don't know before you're there, no-one can pick up your thoughts in transit can they?" said Sirius._** ssss**"Where were you thinking?"**ssss**_ he asked Erich in Parseltongue.

_**ssss**"Near my father's castle…there are lowborn wizards who will protect him who hated my father"**ssss**_ Erich replied.

They cancelled the ritual line; and permitted the frightened wizard to pack a few necessities. Then they apparated smoothly to a pre-arranged spot, and Sirius performed rituals there and around to dampen their geomantic trail. Then Erich was in charge and guided them to a small wizarding village.

"Most of you should stay here in the hills" he said "David, will you come?"

David nodded; and Erich led the way, their captive stumbling after him.

David had noted that under guise of concern, Willow had gazed in his eyes and had given a small nod to the rest of them. He was not about to betray them – willingly. Under the cruciatus curse was another matter; but if he was safe hopefully that situation would not arise,

Erich knocked on a door; and a witch cautiously opened it.

"Tante Turfridis, guten tag!" he said.

"Who calls me Aunt? My sister's son is dead as she is!" said the witch coldly.

"Who told you that? After HE murdered Mama I found a way to run away from Durmstrang. I've been in Britain" said Erich. "Use legilimensy to check."

"I'm no legilimens!"

"Oh. Aren't all grown ups?" said Erich, fazed.

David laughed.

"Erich, we know some pretty amazing grown ups; your adoptive dad is pretty special! Madam, do you follow the news in Britain? Of the killing of Voldemort?"

"It is hard to miss something that big."

"Then you will know that those of Harry Potter's school friends and adult protectors who stood beside him had performed a ritual that bounced the killing curse; that marked us all like Harry. Does that give us some bona fides? This man is a fugitive and we have come to ask shelter for him that he not be miserable in a foreign country."

She looked at his scar; and Erich's.

"You look like my sister….let me use my wand, cut your palm, boy"

Erich did so without hesitation; and she pointed her wand at it. Then she threw her arms round Erich's neck.

"My nephew, my nephew, forgive me for doubting you, you are grown so big and strong, so handsome! Do you too need shelter?"

"No, Aunt Turfridis, David and I must get back to our group; it was a matter on honour to deal with a group of murderers. This man is a terrified innocent, a barkeeper; he has been legilimensed to check he has no evil intent. Will you care for him?"

"We can find him somewhere to stay and a job to do, Ja, Erich. And you will come again? Just to see me?"

"I will, my aunt; and then I will tell you more and perhaps bring some of my new family" said Erich. "But we must leave now!" and he and David walked back to where the others were waiting.

"I suppose it is reasonable that I have grown up enough that my aunt did not immediately recognise me" Erich explained in answer to an interrogative eyebrow raise from Sirius "But all is all right now."

And then they were going home.

Killing became more routine; but thinking about it never became easier. And THAT was what set them apart from the dark wizards and evil muggles, thought David.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

David went to the Snape house for Christmas; and discussed the Gryphon with his guardian.

"Grutch told Ellie all about it so he could truthfully say he only told his daughter; and she isn't coming with me so she can truthfully say she had nothing to do with it" said David.

Severus nodded.

"Well thought through…so tell me; it'll get your thoughts straight if nothing else."

"The unfortunate creature lives deep within the vaults, chained to a wall" said David "At the bottom of stairs that collapse if an authorised palm print is not placed there. And I'm afraid I'm going to have to do some unauthorised wand work and hope not to get caught for it being a place full of magic-casting adults."

"Hmm, not in the vaults; and your age tag will show up. Transfiguration, on the other hand, is an inwardly focused spell; that does NOT show up. I'd suggest that as your means of getting in; snake, or even spider, that can use the walls and not bother with the staircase."

"Yes, but how am I to get it out of its manacles and out?"

"Well I'd hardly expect you to be getting it out full sized and an obvious Gryphon underneath their noses" said Severus waspishly.

"Domine, you're brilliant; I need a shrinking solution of course, and… now I can't use Polyjuice potion on an animal I don't think; or rather, I don't know what the results might be; but if I then turned it to stone, we could restore it later? By being basilisk?"

"It sounds quite feasible; you'll have to act fast though. And carry it up in your serpentine mouth too. In your shoes I'd also carry a little potion of my own, an invisibility potion. It only works out of direct sunlight or any bright light and I've not got it to work for more than five minutes at a time and then not perfectly; getting enough demiguise blood to work with is hard, they don't like donating it and go invisible on me; and Krait's never seen one personally and that makes a difference to her apparently."

"She'd never seen a basilisk"

"No; but she IS Slytherin's heiress. And THAT makes a difference too in all sorts of ways. Oh – and have a spot of Felix before you start."

"Thanks Domine; you can't imagine how much help you are!"

Severus sighed.

"Well it's no good telling a Gryffindor that rescuing a Gryphon from Gringotts is the barmiest thing I've ever heard of and is utterly impossible; because you'll go ahead anyway. The only thing therefore feasible for me to do to keep my ward out of trouble and the good name of the school unsmirched by its head boy being arrested for theft in the depths of Gringotts is to help all I can."

"I hadn't thought of that…it'd get Albus into no end of trouble, wouldn't it?"

"Oh I expect he'd find a way to wriggle out….Lucius could actually take lessons from Albus in slipperyness, he's had to learn to be in protecting Harry from the ministry over the years. What's your excuse for being in Diagon Alley?"

"Buying potion ingredients for the Triwizard; I need certain things and I don't want to be a drain on school resources. You said you'd set up an account for me; and I didn't want to ever use it because I want to make my own way, but for this I think it's justified."

"And I think it's justified to use for your orphans too….even if Kinat has set up a fund from the sale of all that acromantula venom, little rascal!" said Severus. "I'll prepare you vials, learn them by colour, I'm not going to label them in case they get dropped. I'll use self-cleaning vials that won't leave traces once you've drained them. Don't act hasty on the way out, carry on as normal to buy your ingredients even if your miniature stone gryphon feels like it's burning a hole in your pocket."

"Yes Domine" said David meekly and patiently. Severus gave a lop sided grin.

"I know; you know all this. Knowing it and doing it in a tense moment are two different things. For what it's worth, I back you to act nonchalant far further that I would Harry. He looks guilty as a matter of course!"

"Poor Harry, he's spent much of his life being made to FEEL guilty almost as a matter of course" said David.

David drank his potion of Felix Felicis and entered the snowy white marble building with its big bronze doors, nodding politely to the goblin guard on duty; past the second set of doors with an ominously warning rhyme on it about what might happen to thieves. Its hints were somehow more ominous than something along the lines of 'trespassers will be eaten'. There was a long counter in the impressive marble antechamber with its plethora of doors, and bustle of goblins going about business, many sat on high stools at the counter. David picked a free goblin and presented his key.

"Griphook!" called the goblin.

David half expected to see Garjala's ferret; then remembered that she had named it for a Gringott's goblin.

Griphook hurried up and gave a half smile.

"Ah, Mr Fraser- the head boy at Hogwarts I believe? Your first visit here?"

"Being a scholarship boy I left my equipping to my guardian before; but I've had some money made over to me and I need some equipment for this Triwizard competition" said David. Griphook's face lit up.

"I've got a small fortune on you, Mr Fraser" he whispered "Enough to set me up nicely if you win…now I've seen you I reckon even more that you're going to… it ain't just the scar, Mr Fraser, it's that you walk like a champion!"

"Thanks, Griphook" said David, touched. "I don't actually know how much I have in the vault; can I stay to count it?"

"Course you can, Mr Fraser!" said Griphook "I'll have to leave you there, hope you won't be too nervous….nah, Triwizard champion ain't afraid o' being alone in the dark, you ain't going wandering off t' upset the guardian, after all!" and he laughed.

They passed into a narrow stone passage with railway tracks set in the floor and climbed into a small cart and set off at a rather extreme rate. There was an underground lake with stalagmites and stalactites. The cart seemed to know where it was going; David surmised it was partly to do with his key and partly to do with goblin magic that worked so well with simple technology.

At last they came to a sudden halt beside a small door. Griphook put the key in the lock and the door opened.

"All yours, Mr Fraser" he said "I'll be back when you whistle if that's all right; busy time of year!"

David remembered, it was Christmas; and some wizarding folk were still buying last minute gifts. Best time ever, save the beginning of a new school year; and even that might not be quite so busy!

Severus and Krait had put aside what David considered a far too generous portion; but it was at least credible that he would need a long time to count it. Griphook grinned.

"Should've brought sandwiches" he said; then he was rocketing away. David felt very lucky; he had heard the door was sometimes shut on people who wanted to spend time in their own vault. The felix was working! Quickly he shrugged into giant woodlouse form; somehow it seemed ridiculously appropriate! He scuttled out of the vault and on downwards. He knew approximately where to go – Grutch had told Ellie – and with the Felix coursing through his body he had an even better idea. He went unerringly in the right direction as fast as his many skittering legs could take him.

And there was the staircase that needed a palmprint; unless one went down the walls.

David ran; and there were the most secure vaults, and outside them a sad looking gryphon chained to the wall. David changed back where the stair finished, so he had not walked out into the Gryphon's chamber. That sort of thing was generally specified; by magical lines. Besides, it seemed the right thing to do; and felix was in charge of his feelings. One hour left of good luck. David got out the flit gun filled with shrinking solution; and squirted it at the gryphon which yelped, startled, then began to shrink. It ran out of its manacles, initially towards where the supposed attack came from, growling squeaky kitten growls as it shrank below the size of a cat. It realised suddenly how big its prey was and extended its wings defensively. They had been clipped, David noted disapprovingly. He changed again, sorry to frighten the poor beast; but it was not for long. David the basilisk went rapidly into David the big snake – the thoughts were less uncomfortable – and picked the stone gryphon up in his massively extendible jaws. And then he was on his way back up, faster than he had scuttled as a woodlouse, easily at home in the great body of a snake, his parseltongue blood rejoicing. David suppressed all that; good job he had been a woodlouse on the way down, being a snake felt almost as right as being a dog. Almost he hurried into the main passage; but something – felix – made him pause.

A cart rattled by, Griphook answering a complaining voice,

"Only one speed, so sorry!"

David did not think he sounded sorry in the least.

Quickly he headed for his own vault; lucky again, he had pulled the door almost to before he had left and Griphook was too busy to check. He slithered in, and transfigured back, pushing the stone gryphon well down into his bag, a muggle 'magic' bag with two compartments, to be shown apparently empty. Wizards found legerdemain tricks hard to comprehend. The other compartment he filled with a mix of coins; measured the stacks of coins with a practised estimator's eye and made a rapid calculation. He would not have to simulate a certain amount of awe to Griphook.

He put his head out of the door and whistled.

Almost immediately Griphook hurtled up the track with a rather green-looking witch on board.

"Ah, Mr Fraser, lock the door and hop in….all to your liking?"

"More than I anticipated by a long chalk…my guardian has been most generous" said David.

The witch, looking better for even a brief stop, looked at his scar and her eyes widened.

"You're one of the ones who fought You-know-Who!" she said.

"His name was Tom Riddle" said David, firmly.

"Oh THAT's what that little sod Kinat was about to want to enchant the wheels of the trucks for was it?" said Griphook "Nothing doing, I said, more than my job's worth."

Somehow David found it quite easy to take on board that Griphook was a bit of a jobsworth.

Half an hour of felix left.

He got to the end of the line and thanked Griphook.

The queasy witch had just stumbled away; and Griphook seized his hand, and shook it.

"You're a great man, Mr Fraser, a great man, polite to everyone, and a friend to goblins. A great man!" he reiterated.

David shook firmly back and muttered something self deprecating. Somehow he doubted Griphook would continue in that opinion if he learned that David was stealing the Gringott's gryphon.

He went through the marble hall that was the reception area and nodded variously to goblin guards on the doors and a few wizards and witches he recognised, and ran straight into Lucius Malfoy.

"Hello Fraser! You look guilty, robbing Gringotts?" said Lucius, laughing at his own joke. David laughed politely too, wishing Lucius in perdition for delaying his getaway.

Lucius shot him a brief searching glance.

"Much shopping?" he asked.

"Stuff I need to make potions for the next Triwizard test… I don't think I'm supposed to discuss it, Mr Malfoy."

"Well well, give me ten minutes and meet me in Florean Fortescue's for a cup of tea, hmm?" said Lucius.

It WAS good luck after all; Lucius was an alibi of sorts!

"Certainly, Mr Malfoy" said David.

He bought what he needed in the potion supplies shop; anyone might check what he bought and work out what he was using it for. He had a careful list to refer to as well and that was evidence too. And then he was meeting Lucius.

"You know, David my lad, you're near enough adult" said Lucius "I think it's well time to make you free with my first name; we'll be working together on so many things, won't we?"

"I hope so sir – I mean Lucius" said David.

"You'll be our advisor on muggle weapons; unofficially of course. Unless you want a post in the ministry" said Lucius.

"Not likely! It's full of ministers!" said David. Lucius laughed.

"Looking forward to teaching?"

"Right now I'm looking forward to completing this dratted triwizard" said David "It's an awful nuisance. I only signed up because Madam Spikenard saw me rescuing orphaned Rumanians – only she didn't have it such detail or we'd have done it before they ever got wrapped up in spider gunk. Helluva way to spend a year when I've better things to do. Still, I suppose the tasks are easy enough."

"They probably are to a seasoned veteran at that" said Lucius. "Do you need any help transporting anything that you may have on you anywhere?"

David grinned at him.

"How nice of you to trust me so absolutely Lucius!" he said "No, I'm all sorted out I think…I wouldn't mind leaving with you though; or perhaps you could drop me at Sev's if you have the car?"

"Not a problem" said Lucius. "Tell me all about it some day, hmmm?"

"Absolutely" said David. "And I look forward too to finding out what Draco found in Obscura Alley."

"You'll not be surprised to find that he suspects the denizen of 66b of muggle trafficking; but he wants more proof" said Lucius "He's been looking into my properties there; and my nephews and friends have been poking around too, I expect they'll have a tale or two! Shall we go?"

"I think so" said David.

There was as yet no outcry at Gringotts; presumably unless someone wanted a high security vault the theft would not be discovered until it was time to feed the gryphon.

And hopefully by then he would be well away and enough people had been left to do their own thing for him not to stand out. And Griphook would be unlikely to mention it anyway; because technically it was dereliction of duty. And Griphook was NOT the sort to own up to any sort of fault!

Lucius came in, ostensibly to see Severus, and David got out the stone gryphon.

"Excellent" said Severus "Once we're back at Hogwarts, we can restore him and restore his size and then let them prove the wild Gryphon in our forest is anything to do with one they lost. Hmm, poor condition, isn't he, and clipped wings…we can sort all that during the restoration; Krait will know what to do."

"Ingenious" said Lucius "If I ever fetch up in any prison – which going against Odessa is not impossible – I hope you'll be on hand to rescue me, David."

"Any time Lucius" said David, warmly.

"So, how's the business of sorting out house elf compunctions going, Severus? Lucius asked.

"It isn't" said Severus sourly. "We've managed by ritual and deep legilimensy to get rid of it in the elves we know personally – and those who are willingly free are easier to do – but it's deep, it's complex and if you ask me it was tied in by a fey or someone with knowledge of fey magic. Probably some dratted Malfoy."

Lucius pulled a face.

"That I'm afraid is probably true…. I have specifically ordered my house elves not to punish themselves, it's really…." His voice broke "I was amazed how grateful they were" he said.

"It takes a man to admit to being moved, you know Lucius" said Severus quietly. "You're a lot happier now than you've ever been, aren't you?"

"Assuredly" said Lucius "Especially as I'm still allowed to judiciously bully people….there's something very satisfying in watching pompous little jobsworths and little dictators leap to my command and grovel and arse lick and lose all their bubble of self-conceit."

"You're a bad man Lucius" laughed Severus "And very useful to have to set on people!"

"For all the world like a tame werewolf? Thanks Severus!"

Severus grinned, then sobered.

"I wish I could lick this elf problem though" he said "Krait's covered pages with arithmantic notes – at least it kept her from climbing the walls too much while she was laid up – and we've delved deep into the minds of house elves – and I'll thank you to keep that dirty remark lurking behind the smirk to yourself, Lucius, about Sirri; you can't talk about mistresses."

"No I can't can I?" said Lucius. "So long as my niece is contented with the matter it's none of my business. How did you get on with unfree house elves? I'm sure mine would be happy to volunteer for you to work on."

"Thank you Lucius; I'll bear that in mind, the Hogwarts ones are so happy they get jumpy about anyone suggesting they change their status…..Kreacher was dubious but he's learned to trust Sirius enough to let me remove it; said grudgingly that it didn't feel any different afterwards and he could still choose to punish himself if he felt like it so there. Sirius told him he was a loony and Kreacher managed to crack the sally that he got that off his master, which dig pleased him mightily as he didn't feel an urge to punish himself for saying it so he went off in high trig."

"Kreacher IS a loony" said Lucius "I always thought so when he would come to visit Narcissa when Sirius was in Azkaban. Merlin's beard, I just remembered Draco's crack about Starriest Crack being released from Astrakhan and so being temporarily without fur….have you heard his latest?"

"General Disorder? Yes, he likes to play with fire does your Draco, bless him; David here is Private Paartz."

Lucius grinned.

"I look forward to seeing what that stirs up….with luck they'll send a death squad so we can whittle them down a bit more."

"I think that was Draco's general idea" said David.

"Well, well, plenty to look forward to…. I'll send volunteer elves over to you, Severus; best of luck with your gryphon."

The Marauders had plenty to report too; they had been in Obscura Alley for several days with Draco but not with him, as Abraxus put it, in their dressed down guise, which meant hair brushed forward over the scars and unkempt looking.

"Which mum said isn't hard for small boys" said Abraxus "As though we were kids of eleven or twelve!"

"It's a prerogative of mothers to forget their babies grow up" said Krait serenely "At least your mum lets you go poking around in Obscura Alley and such; I bet Molly wouldn't have let any of her brood."

"Which is why Fred and George have enough knowledge about it to have hired a street stall there" said Hawke cynically "Difference is, we tell our mum what we get up to; the Weasleys don't; and I reckon our mum has more real peace of mind because she knows we DO share."

"Poor Molly" said Krait

"It was a helluva shock when the body fell out of the window though" said Romulus.

"He has a sense of the dramatic, doesn't he?" said Severus.

Rom gave a rueful grin.

"Well it was a shock for us, so I'm passing it on" he said. "It was from the upstairs of the haberdashers, where they make clothes; she was just a girl, a goblin girl. She'd died giving birth; but we managed to save the baby, she was half way out, but so much blood!"

"It was pretty awful, Krait" said Abraxus "She could have been saved if anyone had cared….. kid is a half-breed, we took her to Kinat's mum. Anyway, Draco took over the investigation as an auror and demanded us scuzzy brats to run errands for him… Draco is seriously all right… and it turned out she was giving birth at her sewing machine and when she stopped sewing to die, the bastards in charge just tossed her out of the window like so much trash….her dad, Dokan, has been blacklisted for taking part in protests, he's an accountant by trade and Gringott's wouldn't have any trace of protest attached to THEIR hallowed walls…. He's been subsisting by growing and selling vegetables because he's a gardener as a hobby, and his daughter Gejela went out sewing….she had an affair with some wizard, and he dropped her when she got pregnant. We called the baby Gejela after her mum, Kinat's mum's going to let Dokan visit his granddaughter but he'd find it hard to rear her….Krait, d'you reckon you could buy out the Carmichaels' nursery and employ indigent wizarding folk there? It's a bit run down because of Arthur's poor health and then him dying but….. and Dokan would be a perfect manager because he knows figures AND plants."

"Now THAT is an excellent idea" approved Krait. "Ten chocolate drops to Gryffindor….make that a packet between you."

"Then he could contribute towards little Gejela too" said Kinat, who'd been a little quiet "I had been wondering if I'd have to leave school after OWLs to get work to help the family budget."

"Kinat, I can always find enough to see all your siblings through school as far as they are capable of going" said Krait firmly "And if it troubles your parents, I'll let you pay it back between you after you have a highly paid job for the sake of having a ridiculous number of NEWTs."

Kinat hurled himself on Krait and hugged her.

He had been reared by his parents to be self sufficient; and to do what he could for neighbours, and he had been quite willing for the sake of this baby's survival to give up the school he loved: but he was glad not to have to.

"Besides" said Krait "Your parents are entitled to a grant from the orphan fund you set up with your most excellent acquisition of acromantula poison."

Kinat brightened. He had not thought of that!

"That wasn't all either" said Hawke "Though it was the most dramatic. Oh, we said hello to Kordach and met his oldest little girl too, she's cute. Kordach lives at number five. Dympna Burke lives in Obscura Alley too, did you know, for all her airs and graces? The right END of course, and pretending not to be a close neighbour to Kordach….there's a kid who wouldn't have had the chance to come to school that Burke was bullying and taunting, reckon she's about the same age or a year younger…. Same old story, father is married but not to mother, kept her until she started losing her looks and moved on when Cressida – Cressida Blunt is this kid's name – was about six. Her mother was an ill educated shop girl, but having been a scarlet woman, once she wasn't a kept woman any more the only job she could get was as skivvy to the Burkes 'cos they don't have any house elves; and they made Cressida skivvy too. Anyway, that's fixed, mum's taken her on as another shop assistant, 'cos business is good and she needs to think about expanding. So we'll be looking out for HER next year."

"And I say, dad" said Romulus "You know Mr Collins who writes in 'Transactions of the Learned Society of Potioneers?"

"Yes, we've corresponded a lot through the pages of 'Transactions'" said Severus.

"He lives at number six, almost opposite Kordach, and he was well pleased to meet your son and some of your most promising pupils" said Romulus.

Severus raised an eyebrow

"You lot introduced yourselves as my most promising pupils?"

"No, but we were chatting and he kinda made the assumption" said Kinat "Because we do actually know quite a lot really…besides, Domine, we ARE some of your most promising pupils."

"You are… and I'm glad it was you who met him not some of those who produce the more unwholesome concatenations" said Severus. "And I don't apologise for the phrase; it's too descriptive."

He got beamed at.

"It's a nervous sort of place, Obscura Alley" said Hawke "With shady types about, we even saw Mundungus Fletcher, with a load of dodgy cauldrons, but he vanished sharpish when the stall holder he was selling to got beaten up by a little old witch for selling her a cauldron so substandard it burned through before it even boiled…watching him running down the street with his head through the burned hole while she hit him over the head with a frying pan was extraordinarily amusing."

"Yes, there were aurors there taking half an interest in that, but they were there to arrest a hag for poisoning someone to order; his ghost was along to point her out" said Abraxus. "I should think that's a risk to take, in a world where people can become ghosts and lay information. It's kind of way beyond a dying deposition!"

"Most people don't become ghosts though" said Severus "Most drop beyond the veil without even thinking about it when they die; you have to have a real terror of death or determination to complete some mission to stay as a ghost; or else, like Myrtle, be so confused you don't realise you're dead until it's too late to take the quick path through."

"Glad she didn't" said Abraxus softly.

"The other small excitement was the Russian kid" said Romulus "He came and talked to us 'cos we're kids too and looked quite hard; he was getting some flak, 'cos he's big; he's a half giant and he heard there was one in England –he don't know the difference between England and Scotland – so we got Draco to take him up to Hagrid. His name's…..oh it's like Michael."

"Mikhail" said Hawke "Mikhail Seregin, but he answers to Mischa. Hagrid'll like to adopt him I should think."

"Mmm" said Severus "And let's keep an eye on him ourselves and give the poor child a few more social graces than Hagrid can manage."

"Hagrid's got the best social grace of being warm hearted, Domine" said David.

"The warmest heart in the world doesn't get you anywhere if you manage to irritate too many people and destroy your own cause" said Severus "Hagrid is his own worst enemy; his passion for dangerous animals has caused a lot of complaints to the school over time, and it reinforces the idea of half giants being thick and dangerous. Which is not necessarily so. And I KNOW Hagrid isn't dangerous; JADE is more dangerous then Hagrid. But he doesn't go out of his way to try to dispel the incorrect notions about him. Because he ISN'T very bright. All I'm saying is, let's give this child Mischa a chance to be more than Hagrid and be a better ambassador for his kind."

"Sorry, Domine" said David "I know you don't like Hagrid much."

"Hagrid exasperates me because I see a man who may not be very bright but who is bright enough to be more than he is, to make a better showing to outsiders. And part of me now accepts that he's happy enough as he is; but part of me also realises that deep down he's rejected some of civilisation because it rejected him when Tom Riddle managed to have him so unfairly expelled – and I am actually working on having his wand formally restored to him because the expulsion was unfair – but he doesn't go out of his way to help himself."

"I'll see if I can chat informally and help with that" said David "He likes me; I like animals too and he trusts me to help with them."

Severus nodded.

"Thank you David; I appreciate that" he said. "Any more I need to know about your alarums and excursions you repellent brats?"

The Marauders grinned.

"Apart from the stall selling illegal muggle goods charmed to be powered by wand not electricity?" said Abraxus.

"That's a neat idea" said Krait "Let's find out if there's a legal loophole in that and invest in research…. I'd love a magic powered hoover to help out Mimette with the cleaning of the house; and a toaster in Myrtle's loo for the MSHG would be a great idea!"

Severus groaned.

"Sometimes, Abraxus, you don't know when to keep your big mouth shut!" he said.

"Well I think a toaster for the MSHG is a brilliant idea!" said Abraxus "And in fact I'm going right back to Obscura Alley to buy one! Coming twin?"

"Every time!" agreed Hawke.

The MSGH was soon the proud owner of an eight-slice toaster wide enough, as Hawke proudly said, to take crumpets too, and that meant sixteen crumpets at a time.

Severus gave up.

Crumpets with cocoa made easily would actually be really rather convenient and nice.

The protest was for form's sake.

After all, if Krait was to invest in this dodgy business, it could at least be a bit better regulated and there was less likelihood of problems caused by wizards being harmed by improperly set up muggle equipment.

Severus checked the toaster out himself, however to make sure it really was safe.

He had no desire to have electrocuted children to have to deal with!

A few adjustments later and he was fully satisfied; and growled that he would have preferred them to buy muggle goods and let HIM do the adjustments.

The twins just grinned.


	13. Chapter 13

_Warning; child abuse uncovered in this chapter._**  
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**Chapter 13**

David looked in vain in the 'Daily Prophet' for news of the stolen gryphon; there was not even a mention in passing.

"I wonder why they've not set an uproar in motion?" he said anxiously to Severus. Severus grinned rather wolfishly in glee.

"Because that means admitting that someone got into Gringotts's and made a theft; and THAT would do their business no good! As nothing else was stolen but their own property, they'd rather hush it up!"

Grutch came over with more news.

"The powers that be don't even realise that any agency removed the gryphon" he said "They checked the secure vaults; and as nothing had been stolen, they decided that a robbery could not have taken place, because there would be no point in breaking into the bank unless one intended to steal something valuable; and so to their minds, the creature slipped its own bonds and escaped and is in the tunnels somewhere. They've been discreetly advertising abroad for a magical beast handler to look for it, and hoping the ministry don't find out that there's an uncontrolled gryphon somewhere in the vaults. That was very cleverly done, David."

David grinned.

"I couldn't have done it without Severus and his potions" he said "Not that I used the invisibility potion in the end. Severus, is that what Krait gave Erich's siblings and stepmother? I always had the impression it was pretty certain, that one."

"It was a more efficient batch; and if I knew why the rest would be too" said Severus "I'm experimenting – when I have time – to improve it. Remember too that the light was going in the evening and the castle corridors dark at the best of times; like inside the bank tunnels. We have effective invisibility charms that bend the viewers' vision; but true invisibility is hard to achieve. It hasn't been as much a priority to me as working on freeing elves and brewing Remus his wolfbane."

"Oh quite" said David, nodding agreement.

Erich had volunteered to keep David company as they made sure all those children who were supposed to catch the train duly caught it. Some pupils would be returning a day or two late, as would Severus; he was going with Ross Tuthill to see the lad's chemistry master – described by the boy as 'a bit crusty on the outside like you sir but a seriously good type for real. Like you sir' – and Lionel Dell had asked to go too. As the application of a little chemistry had made a significant difference to the boy's potioneering, Severus had agreed. The idea was to steal – Krait's word – William Pepper to teach chemistry in the new school opening in September.

David also had two new students on his list; a sixth former who was transferring from Beauxbatons because his parents had moved and wanted him at school nearer their new job – his father as an Ambassador to the British Ministry of Magic – and a little girl entering the first with a scrawl in Dumbledore's handwriting by her name that she 'had [illegible] problems'.

David could sometimes wish that Albus Dumbledore would be a little less mysterious about things when knowing what problems she had.

Erich leaned over.

"Is that word 'furry'?" he asked.

David blinked.

"It could be" he said. "Has furry problems? Ah, I apologise to Albus…he makes all clear. As you might recall, James Potter referred to Remus Lupin's condition as his 'furry little problem'."

"Poor kid" said Erich. "We shall her life much easier make; the MSHG will to their hearts take her."

"Assuming she's not revelling in it and needs to be sat on before we can take her to our hearts" said David. "Ah good, Mary-Anne, you're nice and early."

Mary-Anne Green beamed.

"I had the happy idea of putting the clock on ten minutes so we'll never be late again so long as daddy never listens to the pips on radio four" she said. "And if he does, likely he'd forget to alter the clock anyway. I brought his old muggle chemistry books with me so we can start a chemistry club."

David groaned hollowly.

"More violent explosions for me to worry about? You make sure you clear that with Professor Snape you small horror, and ask him to let you use a corner of the dungeon at a time he or Professor Malfoy are doing some work in the office or storeroom next door."

Mary-Anne beamed.

"What an excellent idea! Thank you David!"

"Dad won't thank you so heartily I bet" grinned Erich.

"He'd thank me even less if I didn't curb their enthusiasm and they managed to make nitro-glycerine or something" growled David.

A small, neat youth with straight black hair, a foreign air about him and the slightest touch of epicanthic folds came up to the boys.

"Excuse…. I am Thierry Nguyen Le Fevre, and I come for the 'Ogwarts train?"

"Yes, this is the Hogwarts express" said David "Welcome to Hogwarts, Thierry; I'm David Fraser, Head boy, and this is Erich Snape, my friend; you'll be in our year I think. And may I say, your English is excellent."

"Thank you; I 'ave difficulty with the 'h' but I 'ave worked 'ard with the 'th' sound" said Thierry. "It will be exciting to be at the school where the Triwizard is held; and you are the English champion, no?"

"I am" said David "Though I have grave reservations about the effect the competition has on our schoolwork."

"Yes, I did not feel myself like entering because I know my limitations" said Thierry gravely. "I walk through the wall, no?"

"Walk firmly and decisively" said David.

The boy did just that. Erich and David exchanged a look.

"Hufflepuff" they both said with one voice.

David was not expecting to see Lee Nuffield again for a while; but smiled with pleasure as the boy came over, a small girl carting a cauldron by the hand. The child had golden hair and amber eyes but a rather forlorn air about her.

"I think this is one of yours, old boy" said Lee. "I found her on the train and asked them to hold it for me so I could bring her over."

"Thanks, Lee!" said David "I appreciate that! Now you must be Tala Ulwin; we're expecting you. I know about your problem, so you can come to me about help if you need it. Erich here knows too; he'll take you onto the train and look after you."

The child nodded, raising big scared eyes to look at Erich, who smiled kindly and took her cauldron for her, holding out a hand.

After a hesitation she took it and went with him.

That was sorted; Erich would manage to find out all that needed to be found out. Lee waved, and ran for his own train and David checked his list.

"Weasleys late AGAIN?" he demanded as Colin, Alice and Roger came pelting up the platform.

"My owl was sulking and didn't want to be caught!" said Colin.

"Rats are MUCH less trouble" said Alice smugly.

"Well hurry along; you're the last" said David.

And then they were on their way back for a new term!

Erich extracted from Tala that she was late because she had initially run away because she was afraid of what might happen to a werewolf at school. She had not yet transformed but was dreading the time when she might.

"Were you born of a werewolf parent or were you bitten?" asked Erich.

"Born….mummy didn't know that her boyfriend was a werewolf until she was already pregnant" said Tala "And then HE absconded."

"You are not the first werewolf to have attended Hogwarts" said Erich "My father is one of the world's pre-eminent potioneers; he can brew you wolfbane potion when you are old enough to need it; though it may not always work until you are….well have got through adolescence. If not, there are other ways to help; our DADA teacher was bitten when he was a child, and his friends at school became animagi so they could go out with him on full moon and look after him. David is an animagus; and you will be in the year my little sister is in and she will gladly be an animagus to help you. Come; I will introduce you to her and her friends. You do not have to tell them but I think it would help if you do."

"Oh please sir, will you tell them, if you think they won't mind?"

Erich smiled.

"I am 'Erich' not 'sir'; I'm only a prefect, not a professor, or you can call me 'Snape' if you wish to be more formal; but there are several of my siblings in the school so it may be better to stick to 'Erich'. Nobody calls the Weasleys by anything but their first name – except professors – because of the number of them. But if you wish me to tell them for you, then I shall."

Erich duly told Tala's story to Jade and friends – the junior Marauders and Mei Chang were with her too – and they made the little girl welcome.

"I'm going to be an animagus" said Lynx "Like cousin Sirius. Only I'm going to be a lynx like my name because dogs have really bad breath."

"We'll look out for you Tala and not let anyone do anything to hurt you" said Jade firmly.

Once the cavalcade was duly at the castle, Thierry was, to no-one's surprise who had met him, Hatted into Hufflepuff; and Tala was a Gryffindor.

Jade promptly sought out Freya Tuthill and told her Tala's story too so she would have a friend in her own dormitory since Roger Weasley was only a boy and probably snored anyway. Freya was more than happy to look out for the little girl; especially as she was already missing her brother for the couple of nights he would be away! Looking after Tala gave her something to do!

The juniors soon found something to do to keep them occupied in the inclement weather.

Odd socks were purchased from Argus Filch's lost property sale and turned into sock puppets; and David was the first to encounter the most ambitious project of all, courtesy of Jade and friends, Basil the Basilisk, which was animated on slinkies with a very lifelike face – Jade being an excellent embroideress – an Elvis hairstyle and shades, singing dolefully to abjure people not to tread on his blue suede tail.

He was rather an impressive creature and David was highly amused.

He rapidly acquired an increased repertoire in terms of 'Azkaban rock', 'Heartbreak Leaky Cauldron', 'Hound Sirius', 'stir me tender', 'mystery Hogwarts express', 'Viva Diagon Alley' and 'return to owl loft'.

Some of the renditions were better than others and some were obscured by too much giggling.

An impromptu concert got up by the middle school at the weekend, to which they condescendingly invited Basil, ended in something of a brawl when Basil was cheered far more than a Ravenclaw girl who was made much of as a singer by her housemates and who fancied herself in a big way. She had hysterics and her boyfriend shouted at Jade's gang, who promptly started hexing him. The audience thought that his flight across the impromptu stage yelping and pursued, if not by a bear, by several stinging hexes was all part of the entertainment and he retired hurt to howls of laughter.

The next performer, a third year Ravenclaw violinist, threw a temperament and refused to go on and Colin Weasley, whose brainchild the concert had been, sent Basil back to do an encore while he bullied the rest of his performers. Fortunately the second years – led by Lynx – were only too willing to do their comedy act, singing standing in cauldrons 'double double' – with somewhat adulterated words – with Ed Dinalt persuaded to be Professor Snape so they could all shout out 'IT'S PROFESSOR SNAPE' at the line 'something wicked this way comes'. Shakespeare might not have liked the changes to his prose but the audience rocked with laughter at references to horned toads and skinned weevils.

The fact that the backdrop then fell down because of the brawl going on behind scenes put an end to the concert; but not to the entertainment because the audience then joined in.

When the staff had subdued the combatants by spraying them with glumbumble juice Jade Snape volunteered that the whole thing had been in the spirit of living history since in Shakespeare's time brawls between players and audience had been quite common.

Her lines consisted of the speech beginning 'all the world's a stage'; which she took with relative philosophy, in addition to the lines the entire selection of miscreants were given, in copying out the school poem about inter-house co-operation.

"It was worth a try" she said.

David took his Gryphon outside over the weekend, once Severus had returned, and he and Severus explained to Hagrid what he had done.

"Yer aksherly robbed GRINGOTT'S?" said Hagrid "David, yer a loony!"

"A rather successful one though" said Severus.

"When I think of 'ow you uster go on at poor Harry fer doin' just such things…." Said Hagrid.

Severus shrugged.

"I put the past behind me and grew up; resentments about things that happened at school did not ought to influence one's whole life. Besides, David's a better planner than Harry; he might almost be a Slytherin."

"There's no need to be insulting, Domine!" quipped David.

"The point is, Hagrid, we need your help caring for this poor creature; will you give it?" asked Severus.

"Yer don't even have ter ask! O' course I will!" said Hagrid. "Pore little thing!"

Severus decided that pouring a growing potion over the stone gryphon first would leave it less frightened when it recovered from being petrified; as they would not be large scary creatures to it. Accordingly he poured until David nodded that it had reached its proper size.

"And Mandragora potion…drip some onto the beak, David, then pour it in as the beak becomes un-petrified; you may need to get your and back sharpish" said Severus.

"Here, I'll put me arms round its neck an' start strokin' it when it comes to" said Hagrid.

"Thanks" said David "You have such a way with animals."

"You don't do so bad yourself; I must say it's nice ter hev someone taking the class to NEWT level" said Hagrid "Krait an' you are the only two what ever seemed good enough" and he sighed.

Severus had not the heart to tell Hagrid that he put students off by his fascination with large and dangerous beasts and that doubtless many of them were afraid that NEWT level practicals might involve caring for dragons!

David gently dribbled the potion onto the stone beak; and it started to change, then moved and chattered briefly. He pulled it open and poured the rest in with a firmness he had learned in providing Buckbeak with medicine, and leaped back, bowing as to a hippogriff.

The rest was down to how much the gryphon liked being free.

The big golden beast stretched and shook its wings that were mending under the chanting Severus was doing; and then it looked up; and screamed!

It put its head down, looking frantically for somewhere to hide.

David acted instinctively and put his arms round the great head and its cruel beak and drew it to his chest, murmuring soft words of comfort. The big creature cowered against him.

"It's never seen the sky" said David, in horror "By Merlin I'd like to scrag someone….it's never seen the ruddy sky!"

"She" said Hagrid, looking.

"So much for our guesses it was male" said Severus. "I suppose a female is a better guardian…Hagrid, we need to get her under cover."

"We'll take her into the forest" said Hagrid "Less sky visible there. C'mon old girl!" he patted the Gryphon's flank.

She hissed at him and made pathetic noises at David.

"Come with me, Godrica" said David, putting one arm round her neck to lead her.

"Godrica?" murmured Severus.

"What else does one call a gryphon then?" asked David.

"Ar, that's a very nice name" said Hagrid, who would probably have said that about any name that made Severus Snape raise his eyebrows.

Godrica allowed herself to be led into the forest, and there she relaxed slightly. They had prepared meat; and now David offered it to her. She tore hungrily at it.

"Half starved too" said David, angrily, dashing tears from his eyes.

"I suppose they thought she'd be more dangerous to would-be thieves that way" said Severus dryly. "Hagrid, have you any more meat? She's disposed of what I prepared like it was nothing."

"Ar, I'll get some" he said "I can hunt fer more fer Buckbeak."

When Godrica was finally sated she settled down and started to preen.

"That's more like it" said Hagrid, satisfied. "She'll be fine now. Now don't you be disappointed, David-lad if she gets up at dawn and goes flying off; now she's free she can go where she wills."

David nodded.

"I know" he said "And that's what I want. I'd love it if she decided to stay in the Forbidden Forest and that I got to see her sometimes; but if she chooses to go, that's up to her."

"Ar, that's my boy" said Hagrid. "Wild beasts ain't supposed to be chained up. They oughta be free to choose."

David petted the big magical creature once more in case he never saw her again; and turned resolutely away to go inside.

oOoOo

She was still there the next day; and greeted him with a butt of the head that sent him flying, then she chittered with her beak until he got up whereupon she gave a squawk of satisfaction and came and laid her head gently on his shoulder. David scratched her poll and round her neck; and was startled that there was enough of the lion half of her to start purring loudly.

She followed him to the edge of the forest; but would not come out.

David told himself firmly that the moment of her departure was only delayed; once she lost her fear of the sky she would discover the joys of flying and would be gone. And his heart would truly fly with her then too.

But he still had to sniff hard.

Meanwhile David had a potions class first thing on Monday morning; and the staff toilet was blocked again.

"Dear me, I do miss Myrtle's useful skills" murmured Severus, casting several flow reversal spells to dislodge any blockage, whilst hovering several feet above the floor in case of noxious outpourings.

What emerged was, when held up by wand, a recognisable effigy of Severus.

"Dear me" said Severus mildly "If only the originator of this er, piece of art put only half that much effort into potioneering, I'm sure that he or she would feel too much flushed with success to feel such disregard for me to feel that I should be flushed, with success."

The NEWT class appreciated this piece of wit – without any long words in it either – and proceeded to repeat it as a huge joke against the idiot who had blocked the loo.

They soon had their own problems however, for next week Severus had set them a rather tricky piece of research on element-resisting potions. David had already done some research on this for his own use in the Triwizard but the rest of the class were soon complaining that Madam Pince was making life difficult about borrowing books just because one girl had been careless and got ink all over hers.

David and Erich reported this to Severus unofficially; and Severus went mostly officially on the warpath.

The culprit was, it seemed Elisa Mourne who sobbed out, as Severus interrupted her library detention dusting books, that she had NOT spilt ink on her library books and she did not know how it had got there.

Severus stared into her eyes; then nodded.

"Go to your common room, Miss Mourne and get on with your usual activities" he said "Madam Pince is sorry that she got the wrong culprit."

Elisa fled.

"With all due respect, Severus, that girl has to pay for her actions, spoiling books….."Madam Pince was almost frothing at the mouth.

"With all due respect, Irma, that girl has no right to pay for the actions of another; you're punishing the girl for having had a very nasty trick played on her, and that is unfair!" said Severus.

"The books were in HER care, SHE should have ensured they did not suffer!"

"Yes, you silly old bat, and I remember you punishing me after James Potter thought it funny to use a hovering charm to upend an inkpot over me and the book I was reading….why you ever thought I'd willingly pour ink over myself even if I was stupid enough to obscure what I wanted to read I don't know" said Severus in disgust. "You are impeding my sixth formers; I want the ban on borrowing books lifted."

"No!" they shan't harm my books!"

"They are NOT your books; they belong to the school and essentially to the students!"

"They shouldn't be let near them if I had my way students would never even come into the library!"

"Who do you think this library is for, Irma? You? Merlin's unwashed underpants, as Hermione would say, I do believe you do think it is yours…. Change your attitude NOW Irma, or I go to Albus."

Madam Pince left later that day on a rest cure; and the students were free to borrow such books as they required; and Madam Linda Ermin took her place, her six year old son Oliver moving under the care of Gran, Merope and the mother of his half brother Cassius, Hilary Arbuckle whom Krait employed as an infant teacher. Linda, being muggle born, a rarity for a Slytherin such as she had been, had no preconceptions about Hilary being a squib; and having been deceived by the same man they were soon firm friends. Linda was also another Malfoy from Abraxus the elder's get, being the half sister of Jonathon Malfoy, father of both Jade and Lydia and Lucius' adopted children Erica and Nathan. As she was an archivist which was near enough to being a librarian it made sense, as Krait said, to keep it in the family.

Severus was just glad to get his students a librarian who wasn't three parts barmy and the rest obsessive-compulsive as he described her to David!

It was not hard to uncover the author of the nasty tricks to Mourne; Dione Parnassus still had it in for her. And when Severus summoned her to his office and she started to see the washed and dried effigy – Severus had rather taken to his unfortunate surrogate - he knew the author of that minor outrage too.

"Miss Parnassus" he said "You have been in trouble almost from the moment you arrived at Hogwarts. Your failure to produce a worthwhile piece of work in my class I can accept; to have the subtle touch to be a potioneer is not the commonest of talents and I have long since resigned myself to the concept that nine out of ten of my classes will range from the mildly incompetent through the clueless to the downright moronic. You score just below clueless if you are interested. However, failure in lessons is no excuse for the sort of behaviour that you produce which is childish, malicious and frankly at times inconceivably incomprehensible. I have wondered at times if you might be part poltergeist with an uncontrollable urge to behave in such a way; and if you are in any respect part fey – which can produce similar effects – now is the time to come clean and tell me so we may address this self destructive urge of yours before it ends up getting you expelled; as may very well happen if you cannot learn to control it."

To his surprise – and some horror – Dione Parnassus, the hardboiled Slytherin bitch of the fifth, burst into tears.

Severus came round the desk, knelt down beside the chair and put an arm around her.

"Krait said you were an unhappy little girl" he said softly "I wasn't sure that she was right; but she's seldom wrong. Now, let's get all this rubbish that makes you behave so out into the open where maybe we can do something about it."

"Oh – oh – oh, nobody can!" wailed Dione.

Severus sent a mental summons for Krait. This was going to be a long job requiring an expert on cuddles; and nobody gave healing cuddles like Krait.

Besides, it was a little embarrassing for a male professor to have to cuddle a girl only just short of the age Krait had been when she had first seduced him.

With gentle arms each side and encouraging noises the whole story flowed out.

Dione's parents loathed each other; her mother was inclined to violence, her father as snide as Severus, and she was a weapon they used, threatening to withhold treats from the girl to get at the other parent, giving her gifts to outdo each other, threatening to withhold access to her. Dione and learned early – as Severus had done himself – that a 'don't care' attitude to both was the best armour. She lived some of the time with one, some with the other; each had retired to separate ends of their large house and ran them as two separate flats, with their own live-in lovers. Her father's girlfriend, Lindie, tried to buy her affection with clothes and jewellery to hurt her mother; her mother however insisted that her daughter call her 'Marianne' and had introduced her to HER boyfriend as her little sister. Kevin, her mother's boyfriend, had liked the idea of taking both sisters to bed and had been interfering with Dione for a year or more; and over the Yule holidays he had raped her and, wailed Dione, she had missed a period and was afraid she was pregnant.

Severus waved his wand.

"I'm afraid, my child, your worst fears are realised. You are almost two months gone; and there appears nothing wrong with the foetus likely to end in a spontaneous miscarriage. You must think what to do about this; because I can give you a potion to kill the foetus, and you will have no more than a bad period – physically at least; because such things can be mentally very painful, even when you do not want a baby. Or, you can decide to go ahead with this pregnancy. Whatever you decide, my wife and I will support you in every way and we will respect your decision; and under the circumstances if you did not want to take an abortion potion, you would not be expelled as you might otherwise be for an unexpected addition to the Hogwarts roster, but your baby could be in our nursery while you continued your studies, seeing to his or her needs as and when you have time, without missing out any care for him….er her" he waved a wand "Or for you."

Dione blinked.

"When it was an it I thought I was certain; but…it's a little girl?"

"It will be a little girl if left to develop, Dione" said Severus gently "It is still as yet an it; and I apologise if I have made your decision harder by unwarranted curiosity through my dislike of uncertainty over the indefinite article."

"He doesn't like the term 'it' to refer to something with a gender" translated Krait.

"You had a baby at school, were you raped?" demanded Dione "I thought they were all Professor Snape's."

"Severus and I were fighting Voldemort; we fully expected to die. We decided to take pleasure together and damn the consequences" said Krait "Professor Dumbledore was very understanding. And yes, I do mean pleasure Dione; because with the right person it is SUPPOSED to be pleasure. There is as much difference between what you have suffered and the real thing – more, much more indeed – than between the punishment sewing of sheets I set you and Elisa's discovery that embroidery was something that made her happy. The difference between a diet of bread and water and scoffing out on lemon meringue pies and chocolate cake."

"I might have known you'd get food in somewhere my dear" said Severus.

"Do I have to choose right away?" asked Dione.

"No of course not" said Severus.

"I would ask that you try to decide within the next four weeks" said Krait "Because by then, the it in your belly will have started to become human, with rudimentary thoughts; and you will start to feel movements. And from moral grounds of my ethics, I prefer to terminate before it is a person; and from YOUR point of view, terminating something that makes itself felt by moving will be harder and more emotionally painful; as well as physically more draining."

Dione nodded.

"I – will make up my mind sooner than that" she said. "Oh please, must I go and face the others?"

"No, child, you'll come and spend a day or two in our quarters and sleep in the nursery" said Krait. "And Severus is going to have a word with the head about your circumstances; and then he's going to go and kick hell out of your stupid mother's pathetically priapic paramour"

Dione's face blazed.

"Give him HELL, Professor!" she said.

"I was planning on so doing" said Severus; and Dione had been in trouble often enough to recognise his silkily dangerous tone of voice.

She gave a fierce grin; then burst into tears again.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Severus had got the attention of Dione's parents and their lovers by the expedient of having them brought to the shared entrance hall of the house where they lived by house elves. Humphrey Parnassus' own house elf Grindly was wringing his hands; and Sirri had told him that this was for the sake of his little mistress so he better stay out of it.

Severus explained, completely and severally what he thought of people who used a little girl at a vulnerable age as a weapon against each other, and who cared more about their petty, childish, playground squabbles then a young life that two of them had managed to create between them some fifteen years before when presumably they had managed to avoid quarrelling long enough to rut like dogs in Obscura Alley in order to conceive.

"And as for YOU" he said to Marianne, with scorn dripping from his voice "Introducing your daughter as your sister, and not even noticing that your ah, pathetically priapic paramour was interfering with her, that is the outside of enough!"

"If she told you that, she's lying!" said Marianne "I punished her for lying when she tried that on me!"

Severus regarded her as though she was the internal organs of a flobberworm, as Sirri later described it.

"Children rarely lie about such things" he said in a low, malevolent hiss "And even had she been, it would even so have been a cry for help, a plea for attention. But tell me, MADAM Parnassus, if she was lying, how did she get pregnant?" he twitched his wand "And I now confirm, by HIS seed?"

Marianne Parnassus gaped like a goldfish, her colour draining.

Humphrey Parnassus launched himself on Kevin.

Severus twitched his wand, and both were bound.

"At last! Some feeling for your daughter!" he said "And didn't you NOTICE how miserable she was? Didn't you wonder why she might avoid going to the other side of the house if she could?"

Humphrey Parnassus groaned.

"You are right, Severus….. I have been lax, I am sorry, so sorry!"

"The one you should apologise to is your daughter, not me" said Severus "And I strongly suggest that a letter of apology to her might be wise. You might try it too" he added to the mother. She tossed her hair.

"It's not MY fault if he behaved improperly because she vamped him" she said.

Severus slapped her. Hard.

"You admit she complained about the interference and then try to make it her fault? What sort of mother are you? Are you incapable of taking responsibility?"

"Well she let him into her bed, didn't she if she's pregnant?"

"Have you never heard the term 'rape' you unnatural creature?" demanded Severus "I do not think I have ever despised anyone as much as you; only the worst and most loathsome women let their own children down! I am a skilled legilimens; and when I saw in your little girl's mind the despair and loathing she felt and the helplessness when even her own mother did not believe her, one reason she has not sought MY help before because she did not see how a mere teacher would believe when her mother did not."

"You BASTARD Kevin Kern!" shouted Parnassus "Severus why did she not come to ME?"

Severus regarded him with hooded eyes.

"Because, Humphrey, you forbade her on pain of punishment to ever even mention her mother or her mother's lover to you" he said.

Parnassus went white and he began to sob.

"Let me out of here, I'm leaving!" said Kevin.

"Let you out? Scot free? For what you did to a little girl who was only THIRTEEN YEARS OLD when you started your foul grooming of her?"

"You have no right….."

"I can call in a couple of aurors you know…that'll mean Azkaban….or you could I suppose accept a curse from me instead" mused Severus.

"All right….cast your curse and let me go!"

Severus grinned.

The house elf Grindly pulled on his arm.

"He shouldn't get off so light!" he squeaked.

Severus knelt and whispered in the elf's big batwing ears. The elf began grinning.

"Moreover" said Severus "If you planned to make a hobby out of Kevin baiting, I somehow do not think your master would disapprove; and really, Marianne is no mistress of yours any more so you can do what you like to her too."

Grindly grinned even wider.

Severus walked round Kevin several times chanting softly in Latin, almost singing; and repeated the walk the other way; then negated the bindings.

"What did you do? I don't feel nothin'" said the wizard suspiciously.

"I have made it almost impossible for you ever to have sex again, Kevin Kern" said Severus, dreamily "Every time you get an erection, thorns will grow from the foreskin of your tool and back into the helmet, causing you excruciating agony. You cannot even enjoy masturbation; or naughty thoughts. It should remind you that there is a time and a place for everything; and that there is never the time or the place for abusing little girls."

"Well I'll have that off soon enough! I know a few curse breakers!"

"Best of luck" said Severus "Make sure they don't trigger the _diffindo_ booby trap when trying, or you'll be peeing at the squat….actually I defy anyone in the world to undo MY curses; I was taught by Voldemort you know and he did know one or two things about cursing. Just because I was working against him doesn't mean I didn't pick up the knowledge. I'm one of the greatest curse breakers in the wizarding world; there's a corollary to that. I'm one of only a handful of people that understand how to use ritual and chanting to full effect; and oh wait, the others are Harry Potter and friends who will NOT be amused at your activities; and if you ask one of them you're more likely to find yourself sprouting more thorns. Now get out; I said you might."

"My things…."

"Grindly will bring them to you. What he does to them first is up to him."

Grindly chuckled evilly.

"Grindly, I order you to make his life and Marianne's uncomfortable in the extreme" said Humphrey Parnassus grimly.

"With pleasure, Master" said Grindly.

"Oh and Marianne… I'm getting a divorce on the grounds that you endangered our daughter" said Parnassus "I'll not pursue the paperwork if you pack a trunk and go within the hour."

"Where am I to go?" she whined

"How should I know? Why should I care? You should have thought of that before you let that….thing….touch Dione! I suppose you let him think she was old enough if you were vain enough to pretend she was your sister? You disgust me! And he only got it up for you by thinking about her, because you're such a bitch you have lines before your time!"

Severus blocked the hex she threw at her still bound husband and disarmed her without even troubling with his wand.

"Madam, you are wasting time; I believe you have some fifty five minutes of the deadline your husband set" he said "After that I expect Grindly will start throwing your things out of the windows."

Grindly, who had not thought of it, beamed.

"Yeah, get out you stupid raddled old bitch" said Lindie.

"I think Lindie" said Humphrey Parnassus "That I can also dispense with your services; you too may leave. If the potions have failed I will pay for any child you may have conceived – once Scarpin's revellaspell proves it is mine – but otherwise, I think I do not want to see you again either. It will be too traumatic for my daughter. You may move out of my bedroom; and take a week about finding some alternative accommodation."

Madam Parnassus meanwhile picked up her wand and went for Severus seriously, in a fury.

Severus just blocked the curses before she even finished pronouncing them; he did not even bother to retaliate.

"I don't play with amateurs" he said. "That's fifty minutes, isn't it Grindly?"

Grindly grinned. With an angry sob, Marianne Parnassus flung away to her half of the house.

"Here, you, help me pack!" she ordered the elf.

Grindly stuck his tongue out.

"Yah, I doesn't belong to you, pack yourself!" he squeaked.

"Hmm, intersting curse idea, getting someone to pack themselves and mail themselves to er, Abu Dhabi" murmured Severus, releasing Humphrey.

"Thank you for finding this out!" said Parnassus "Can – will you brew her a potion to kill the thing she is carrying?"

Severus gave him an inscrutable look.

"I have told her I shall do so if she so wills it" he said "Equally I will stand by her and support her decision if she decides she cannot kill a life within her. It is different for women you know; they feel the life inside them. For her it is both an abomination conceived in pain and terror; and yet her innocent child. She is the only person who can decide which of the two feelings is uppermost and I will not influence her one way or the other. I trust her father will support her decision whatever it is?"

"But… to have to look at the child of THAT if she keeps it?"

"Why not instead, in that eventuality, look upon the baby as your daughter's child – and help her to forget the Kevin creature by just supporting her?" said Severus.

"I always thought you were hard at school."

"At school I was hard. As Dione has been hard. My parents rowed the way you and your wife have rowed. He hit her, she jinxed him. It is NOT conducive to a happy upbringing. That is why I feel deeply for Dione. I have the opportunity to stop for her what was never stopped for me; YOU have the opportunity to have a relationship with your daughter; somehow I doubt she'll ever want one with her mother. I have never had any respect for either of my parents. Try to do better than mine did."

"I shall, Severus; thank you."

Severus nodded.

Now he would get back to Dione and give her a bowdlerised version of what had occurred.

Dione cried a little; and laughed viciously over Severus' curse on Kevin.

"You are sure he can't have it taken off?" she asked anxiously "I don't want him doing this to anyone else ever!"

"My dear girl, have I or have I not won the most unpopular professor award three years running – at least, according to Convolvumort – and am therefore more than capable of casting the most excruciating and irremovable curses?" said Severus, making her giggle a little.

"Truly?"

"Oh yes. Believe me, Dione, if Lucius and I had been whole-hearted supporters of Voldemort, even now you would be bowing to the dark lord and cursing the bones of the Potter boy. Either one of us is a far better wizard than he was; and both of us have ambitions to be as good as Dumbledore some day"

Her mouth was an 'O'.

"Thank you!" she said "Oh thank you! And – and I've decided!"

"So quickly?"

"I don't think it's a decision to make on logic or thought or even common sense; the only decision to make about something so big is a gut decision because…..because that's what the inner me wants BEYOND logic" said Dione.

"That I agree with; what is right – for you. What decision did you make?"

"That it isn't the baby's fault she got conceived; and – and maybe she has a role to play one day; and she deserves to live, whatever. I can't play god with a baby's life. She didn't ask to be conceived; but if you'll truly help me she can be happy."

Severus nodded.

"We certainly shall help you. Now, my dear, I think you should see Elisa Mourne and explain something at least of what's been happening to you; she needs to know why you've been biting at her to hide your own hurt. And when you start to get big, you'll need all the supporters you can get because there will be plenty ready to make ill-natured and misinformed remarks. Krait knows all about that over Lilith. And, if you will give me permission I will tell certain others on your behalf; some big-hearted people who will be prepared to forgive your behaviour on account of the terrible things that have been done to you, and stand by you."

"And who is that?"

"The New Marauders; my older son; and, whoever else you veto, the Head boy and the head girl of Slytherin. Abigail Greengrasse has been through what you have been through; she was used by Voldemort himself. I believe you will have worked that out since Krait told you and Elisa about Salazar being her brother."

Dione shuddered.

"Poor Abigail! I – I hadn't made the connection; I've been too tied up in misery."

"Well, she needs to know. And David. He will need to know truth to field off lies."

Dione hesitated, and nodded.

"Do you really think the Marauders won't make capital out of it? That boy Kinat…."

"That boy Kinat, in the holidays, found a girl who died birthing in Obscura Alley and was thrown out of a window; delivered the baby; and took it home to his mother, offering to forgo his last two years at Hogwarts if it made money too tight. Do you think a boy like that would fail to show compassion?"

Dione hung her head.

"I don't know I could be that big" she said.

"A brave admission to make. Romulus is my adopted son; I know HE will do all he can; Abraxus and Hawke are Krait's cousins; and they live next door to me – for my sins! – and they are good boys."

"Hawke's not really Abraxus' brother though, is he?"

"Hmm, well remembered; most people have forgotten – as the boys encourage them to – about that. Hawke did not have a happy childhood until Wendy and Casimir Malfoy adopted him. HE doesn't even know his own real birthday. He's a Malfoy of sorts somewhere – as you are, through Humphrey – so it's close enough. They look upon each other as twins. It's all that's important. And Willow? Willow's stepmother was cruel to her, and her father hardly less so. There are many, many unhappy children in the Wizarding world, Dione; and one couple can't help them all. If you bring up a happy child who knows she is loved, you will have been more successful than many; and that will make us feel we can make a difference."

"Oh Professor Snape, and to think I thought you were cold and hard!"

"It was a front I cultivated – as you did – to avoid getting too much hurt by my parents; and then my schoolfellows; and then unlike you, at least I sincerely hope so, I had to be cold and hard to pretend to Voldemort, laughing obediently while others of his circle writhed under the cruciatus curse for his amusement. It is not a habit that is easy to lose; and moreover, I find that a cold exterior helps me keep my privacy. I – I am a shy person; and there are those I can relax with, but not all. If you join the MSHG – and I hope you will – you will learn much. About many of us. And you may feel inclined to share your story and throw off more of the burden by so doing. But that is for the future; will you let me tell the Marauders?"

Dione nodded.

"And – and will you ask Elisa to come and see me? If I can make up with her, I – I can face the others" she said.

"I'll do that right away" said Severus.

He did not eavesdrop; though he did monitor in case of trouble.

The making up seemed to go very well, Elisa Mourne horrified, not sure what to say, but ready to be supportive, even if her support was a bit limited to embroidering baby dresses.

Fortunately Dione took that as tacit support that Elisa thought she was making the right decision and thanked her sincerely.

"Poor kiddy" said Krait "Maybe I should have legilimensed her earlier; I thought it would be better for her to spit out what was troubling her on her own."

"You can't know that it wasn't" said Severus "You mean, we might have avoided her getting pregnant if we'd known earlier that he was interfering with her? Maybe. But you were right I think; you gave her the opening but she wasn't ready to take it. This has given her I think an opportunity to be a better person. We can't play the 'if' game love; therein lies madness. We agreed that over Voldemort."

Krait nodded.

"We can only take care of her as best we can poor girl."

David and the Marauders and Erich were much shocked; and agreed readily not to mention it but to be there for the girl! Abigail wept for her; and nodded sagely over her decision.

"I had no choice; being unconscious but I would, I think, have made the same one" she said. "Poor kid…in a way it's almost worse for her. Tom who seduced me was a stranger – and at first at least it was exciting before he showed his….other colours. She's been betrayed by almost a father surrogate."

"Talk to her about it, hmm?" suggested Severus.

"I will, Domine" said Abigail warmly.

Baddock and Pritchard made comments about Dione being out of school of course; they said they thought she'd been kicked out like Isabelle Yaxley and asked where she'd been all this time and was it a really big spanking Professor Snape gave her.

Romulus, Willow and Hawke overheard this and Baddock was hoisted unceremoniously in the air by the ankle while Pritchard became a bouncing ferret before being hoisted in the air by the tail.

The Slytherin Marauders left them there in the passages for anyone passing to taunt.

Juniors might have been too chary to do so, but Peeves certainly felt no such compunction.

The Bloody Baron just walked through them, causing them to shiver and cry out in horror.

So he walked back again.

Peeves was so surprised that he wasn't in trouble from the baron he stared, open mouthed.

"Sorry Peeves, carry on" said the Baron.

Peeves almost fell over himself in surprise. But having sanction to taunt from the Bloody Baron was too much to pass up.

The juniors thought it mightily funny and giggled from cover.

What Peeves did NOT know was that the Baron had caught the pair of bullies plotting to push his favourite, Jade, about.

Severus was glad at least that this troubled girl was on the way to healing, and he would not have to worry about her when the foreign students turned up – as they did shortly thereafter – for the second task.

He would not have to worry about Lionel Dell being flattered by the Durmstrangers again as David had sorted that; and David too was glad that now Ross Tuthill had a very able protector in Lionel.

He was unaware HOW loyal the friendship had become; or how far Dell was prepared to go. With information from Alice Trumball and what he had himself wheedled out of the Marauders Dell had formed the idea of setting up their own Bloodgroup to see if Ross might not gain magical skills thereby. They had convened in a Hufflepuff box room – largely because it was easy to break into from the attic next to it by dint of squeezing through between joists – and were sat on chests drinking pumpkin juice and munching on apples.

"Look, Sephara Yaxley really was next thing to a squib" he said "And she's now close in with the ones with the zig-zag scar; and she got better at lessons awfully quickly, I heard a lot of people talking about it. So as Ross gets a few sparks from Freya's wand and can kinda get a potion to go, why not try?"

"Isn't it dangerous though?" said Mary-Anne

"Yes; that's half the point I think" said Dell "The ones who join risk some to gain a lot; I kinda got the impression that if there's a decent number of you, then it's less risky. And then we'd always know where Mary-Anne is when she gets lost too."

Mary-Anne stuck out her tongue.

"I guess I know more" said Callum "Because of Willow being my sister; sometimes they talk a bit loosely around me in the hols. It was to protect Harry Potter of course that they did it; but cousin Severus and Krait did it first by accident when they did some kind of ritual to give them telepathy while they had to fool Voldemort. Anyway, it's risky for two to be joined, or even three because you feel what the other feels to a greater extent than if it's spread and if one dies, so does the other. But they used it to bounce the killing curse by DIVIDING IT ALL UP among them; and they did that at the duel against Durmstrang too; I'd had one of my drawing things and saw Harry and Draco duelling and I stayed awake to learn what happened, and Harry was tired and he told me how this girl tried the Killing curse on him and he decided to scare Odessa and just seem to take it and share it off among the blood kindred."

"What's Odessa?" asked Tuthill.

"I'm not really sure" said Dell "Callum?"

Callum explained about the wizarding followers initially of Grindelwald using the German Nazis in particular the mystically inclined SS; and how Odessa was to Europe what Deatheaters had been to Britain.

Dell whistled.

"Then that makes it even more important to have another Bloodgroup to fight against these creeps; they spread the sort of lies I believed in."

"I'll do it" said Mary-Anne

"Me too" said Melody "I think they're a bit opposed to blooding any more young ones in because we ARE young – except in an emergency I guess – but I really envy what they have between them. You can tell which ones are Blooded, even without the scar."

"Ross? Want to give it a try?" asked Dell.

"I'd do anything that has a chance of working. Well short of being buggered by Voldemort I guess" said Ross.

"It's a bit….oh all right" said Freya.

"Us in" said Tamsin, looking at Tim, who nodded.

"Cynner?" asked Callum.

"If you are."

"Funny; I was going to ask the same thing" said Callum. "That's yes for us then too."

"Aye, weel, Ah'hll be in too then" said Alice "It's no' likely Ah'll be invited into the other and it's then Ah'll be able tae protect ma faither better. Besides, it does seem like an awfu' guid idea."

"How do we do it?" asked Ross.

"Ah, the difficult ones first" said Dell "We need to be an arithmantically good number I should think….." he counted quickly "Ten… it's not a BAD number; it's not one of the most fortuitous but there's nothing wrong with it. Callum, will you concentrate on drawing what they do? That might help."

Callum nodded.

"Huh, I'm going to ask Jade Snape" said Freya "She has the scar; I'll go and be nosy."

She scrambled up from the ancient chest and hurried off.

"And being Freya she'll even get away with it" said Dell.

oOoOo

Jade shrugged when Freya asked.

"Oh it's just a question of slashing open your palm and sharing blood; a ritual phrase is good, we use Kipling in Parseltongue" she said "It's not dark magic if that's what you're trying to find out, Tuthill; it was considered risky but some of the possible alternatives were worse. They only blooded little kids like we were to be able to track us if we were kidnapped; so don't think we were forced into it to feed Harry power or anything."

"I didn't think anything of the sort!" said Freya hastily "I was just curious."

From Freya that was believable; Jade reckoned – and teased Severus – that Freya was another incarnation of Hermione sent to try him.

Severus had laughed but had not disagreed.

Freya was shocked that Jade should feel defensive about her parents' motives; presumably such accusations had been levelled at them!

She returned to the others with her information.

"What, 'all for one and one for all' or something?" said Callum, who read Dumas.

"As good as any" said Dell. "Y'know, this is a great den, but I don't think it's a good place for ritual."

"What about the dolmen?" said Alice "Under that at a good arithmantic time – that's yours and Ross's work Lionel, the rest of us fall over Arithmancy even Freya."

Dell nodded.

"We'll get on it" he said.

Accordingly, next day as the light faded, the ten conspirators met under the dolmen, slit their hands and murmured 'all for one and one for all' as they shared blood.

Not expecting it, the surge of blood joining was heady!

They sank to their knees as a body.

"Lumme!" said Dell.

"Quick, let's episkayo those wounds before a grown-up comes along" said Mary-Anne practically. Mary-Anne had a strong streak of practicality beneath her dreamy exterior; it kept her father and her alive. When she was in school he had a menu to tear off as he ate each ready meal stored in the chest freezer. Mostly he was on approximately the right day when she got home for the holidays. When things were important to her, Mary-Anne was quite on the ball; but being on time wasn't always as important as making sure daddy was all right. Besides, being vaguer at people than she really was made them mostly leave her alone, as they had left Luna Lovegood alone. David Fraser was all right – more than all right, he was a star – but other people were less so.

And all this Lionel now KNEW; as he knew that Melody had suffered, that Cynner loved Callum and Tim loved Tamsin; and so on.

And Melody loved him; and so did Mary-Anne.

And he could not separate them.

But now that did not matter.

"We are one" he said, grinning foolishly.

"We're also getting wet down here on the ground even under the dolmen; the ground's perishing" said Tim.

"Then let's help each other up….Ross? can you….?"

Ross grinned, held out his hand for his sister's wand and shook out some respectable stars.

"You'll need your own" said Lionel.

"And kit" said Freya "But let's let poor David beat hell out of the foreigners before we take Ross to Diagon Alley; no point letting the grownups know he can do stuff before these cut scars fade. They might ask awkward questions and the less grown-ups know the better in my opinion."

"Well anyway" said Lionel "They can't UN blood us; so it's a fait accompli."

The Fait Accomlices staggered back to school and were promptly given lines for being wet and disgraceful objects – they still had the dust of an earlier box-room visit on them, dampened and smeared across their persons – and told to bath before they went to mix with civilised folk.

They cared not a jot for being in trouble; they were happy people who knew, and loved, and their blood sang!


	15. Chapter 15

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**Chapter 15**

David muttered the rhyme through to himself again.

"to reach and find your heart's desire, you must pass through water, air and fire

you must prepare, and have enough, else coming home could yet be tough."

He had a bag with him containing all that he had prepared, a potion made of gillyweed that he had designed himself – with a few snide hints from Severus wondering aloud why anyone might not crush rather than chop something designed to be released by chewing – that would be surely preferable to swallow than chewing on the horrid slimy stuff, however bad it tasted; and a fire protecting potion that he had researched and then written up for the essay Severus had set them all. It was standard NEWT work to cover protective potions and the information was freely available in the library so there was no question of extra help being provided; he had already decided on this route and could have brewed it in his free study period in the dungeon, as indeed he had. The gillyweed research was all his own; and David was quite pleased with it, and had at Severus' suggestion written it up for 'Transactions' and had needed to look up the full title of that learned publication since nobody ever used the full name of 'Transactions of the Learned Society of Potioneers'. He had received a brief note of thanks and the dry comment that of course a new potion would not be published until it had been tested by one of the Society's test wizards; and that if this was to be field tested in the Triwizard competition, the publication staff all wished him success and would be grateful for notes on how well the field test progressed.

Karl gave David a shaky grin, and Alain nodded to both other boys; they looked scared stiff. David hoped he did not.

He was fairly confident actually.

The potions were really because he almost felt it was cheating to use transfigurations for each part; but if anything went wrong, he could always fall back on it. Practical transfiguration was easy; though he had spoken to Minerva McGonagall about Madam Marchbanks' comments on justifying similarities and she had suggested throwing around words like 'taxonomy' and maybe using the similarities of LATIN names for those things he wished to transfigure, which would be more understandable and acceptable to examiners. She also pointed out that many Latin names were descriptive; and in those descriptions one might find hints to what inanimate objects might be paired with animate ones.

"Why a fiddle to a cat though, apart from the rhyme 'hey diddle diddle'?" David had asked.

"Och, it's a' in the sound an ill-played fiddle makes, wailing like a cat" said Minerva "And that the strings are ca'ed catgut, though it's nae sich thing; It's sheep gut. But it's in the name ye ken."

David privately thought he would do better concentrating on the rhyme than on such dubious logic as that; but he said nothing. It was a traditional part of the NEWT exam and he would just have to live with it.

This time Alain was to go first; and he cast a bubblehead charm to enter the water. He was spoken to privately and given some instructions; and then he was off. The points were to be awarded similarly to the first test; a bonus point for every full minute under the hour the contestants took, and penalty points at an equal rate over the hour plus points out of ten for style from each judge. It was to be a more gruelling test than the first where the base time was five minutes and bonuses were on seconds!

David was next.

"You need to find the underground stream that leads out of the lake to a waterfall" said the French marshal who was sending them off. His English was impeccable. "It's been marked by the merpeople. If you come out of the waterfall too fast you'll be in mid air with very little time to react; I warn you for your own safety. You will see the magical fire from where you emerge. You must return, with your heart's desire, the same route or lose significant penalty points. Is this all clear?"

"Yes, sir, thank you; pellucidly" said David, using the Snapism for luck.

"Good; on my mark….GO!"

David downed his potion and dived into the lake, glad he had added as a last minute thought a warming potion. The lake was horribly cold.

He attuned geomantically to the lake's underwater currents and struck out immediately for the out flowing one.

"That was quick" said the bubbly voice of a merman "Ah, our local hero; best of luck!"

"Cheers" said David, hoping it was audible. The merman grinned. They had picked a friendly one then; some of the merfolk had been a little standoffish since Dumbledore's faked death after they had let their grief be known at his equally fake funeral. David waved, absently transfigured his shoes into flippers to swim faster and set off.

He had no intention of slowing down as he exited; but to transfigure in mid air. He could summon a broom, or hover and use a breeze or, as Kinat suggested, squirt water as a propelling jet; but while there were more efficient ways to do things he fully intended to use them.

The tunnel was relatively narrow; and he was glad of the flippers for stabilisation as much as for speed. He put his arms out in front of him and kicked hard, revelling in the wild ride he was on. Coming back would be much harder; so he needed to let the current do the work this way, to conserve energy.

And then there was light ahead; and he was preparing the thought of the image of Gryphon in his head as he shot clear out into the sharp, cold air, the final kick taking him past the waterfall that cascaded thundering into the valley below. He saw Alain who gave a sharp, startled cry from where he was clinging to the rockface beside the waterfall; and then his shoulders erupted painfully but gloriously into golden eagle's wings and he gave a cry of joy from his sharp beak as he was airborne!

Alain, well behind him despite his start, was now airborne as well, having used the summoning charm for a broom.

That would make heavy weather of coming back with a passenger; Ma'm'selle Cartier was no lightweight! David was unconcerned about that however; his task was to fetch Ellie.

He could feel her; she had been faintly bored and was now starting to get excited, cheering him on through their blood. He had wondered about the short feeling of irritation around the time they had taken her; but it had been replaced by one of satisfaction and no doubt she would share the reason later.

Other Marshals hovered on brooms, overseeing the competition and doubtless ready to use hovering charms if anyone actually fell.

He landed, shrugged back into David-the-boy and drank the first bottle of fire-resistant potion and walked through the flames into Ellie's arms. He handed her the second bottle; and she drank it quickly, and they walked out. He had not needed a third; but it had been there just in case. It all seemed quite prosaic.

David changed again and Ellie scrambled quickly up.

Alain was landing his broom by the fire that held his Rosette; and David nodded his golden head to him. Alain gave him a 'thumb's up'.

Then they were away.

"Frenchmen" said Ellie "I had a little trouble with one of the ones who brought me here; seemed to think that as I was a half goblin I was easy or something. So I gave him a little something to distract him; I transfigured his favourite piece of kit into a bunch of nettles. And I made him apologise before I turned it back. He thought that as I wasn't allowed my wand to help myself or you that I was helpless; HIS mistake."

David the Gryphon could not chuckle as such; but he could purr approval. His Ellie was something else!

They landed beside the waterfall and Ellie scrambled off and held tight to the slippery ledge as David transfigured. He passed her a bottle of potion and drank his own.

"We need to get a bit upstream don't we before we swim?" said Ellie.

"Yes; the passage is wider than the stream, from when it's in spate" said David "It's why we're doing it while it's still so perishing cold; before the meltwater comes. You're supposed to be brought by me, so hold my shoulders."

He was glad the ones to be rescued were not unconscious as they had been for Harry's second task; presumably because this was actually a tougher task. Ellie obediently held his shoulders as they entered the icy water.

"Warming potion! Clever old you!" she said.

"Too hedonistic not to" said David, and stepped back hastily as Karl shot past, using what the Durmstrangers evidently favoured as a partial transfiguration to a shark head, as Viktor had done in his turn. Karl hung on just in time not to go over. David hesitated but Karl called,

"Go on, I'm fine!"

He sounded as though he meant it so David continued. The marshals were there in case of accident after all.

There should be no hint of collusion, to give the marauders a better chance of spiriting away little Uschi.

"He's making rope from his wand" Ellie said as they ducked under. "Neat" she bubbled under water "We can actually talk!"

It was a hard swim and David unashamedly added fins as well as flippers. And then they were in the lake; and he could cut out of the worst drag of the current and head for shore. The merman gave him a wave.

The marshal jumped when he popped up, Ellie by the hand.

"You – that was very quick!" he said. "Most impressive! Now, quickly, your Madam Pomfrey has warmed towels and hot drinks for you!"

"Ah, excellent" said David. "I'm glad I thought to add a warming potion to my water breathing potion though; made the task much easier on both of us."

The marshal looked impressed.

"I will let the judges know this" he said "It should add to your style marks."

David had not said it for that; but he was not displeased!

Madam Pomfrey was pleased too when David explained they were not actually that cold, and why.

"Well you have YOUR head screwed on firmly" she said.

David chuckled.

"I dislike the cold" he said "I cast warming charms on my slippers in the morning too!"

Madam Pomfrey laughed.

"A practical thing to do and one of the reasons no doubt that I never have to issue YOU with pepperup potions for winter colds!"

Alain returned next and he and his girlfriend were shivering uncontrollably. Madam Pomfrey was lecturing him as she wrapped hot towels, enchanted with drying and warming charms, around the young French people.

"A little forethought and a quick warming charm or two and this need never have happened. Call yourself a wizard!" she was scolding.

Karl was a long time returning with his sister and David was starting to worry. Then they broke surface near the middle of the lake – as Alain had done, David recalled, instead of taking advantage of the superior speed of swimming underwater – and the little girl was soon on dry land.

Karl had concentrated on keeping her dry and warm in an enclosed bubble of air; which must have been horrendous to get upstream against so fierce a current. She looked a shrewd enough child; she could surely have been transfigured into a fish – equal protection against the cold – and guided by one fin to be sure Karl kept to the conditions of bringing her, as he seemed at home with transfigurations. He said so to Ellie.

"But most people don't wrap the thoughts of the person they're transfiguring to keep them safe, so she'd just have been a frightened animal" said Ellie "That's why they go for the partial transfiguration for fear of losing their own thoughts!"

"Oh" said David "I thought the whole point of transfiguring people was to keep their personalities intact – like the woodlice – as part of, in that case, the punishment."

"But Krait started that. Don't you remember how uptight Minerva got at first about using it as a punishment? Because of the animal not understanding?"

"I'd forgotten" said David. "I guess Hogwarts just has superior magic; because we expect to do more."

"We've had to of course" said Ellie. "We had this teensy problem called Voldemort, remember?"

Karl and Uschi were being warmed; and Karl asked Madam Pomfrey to keep his sister in her hospital ward as she was delicate.

Madam Pomfrey passed her own opinion on competition organisers who put delicate children at risk.

As Uschi did not look delicate and had an excited gleam in her eye, David suspected that half of Karl's lost time had been spent telling her to expect to be kidnapped and to go along with it. He did not want to know; and hung around awaiting the judging.

Alain's score was given first as he had gone first; he had achieved twenty time points, and the judges had given him two eights and a seven for style – the seven from Germany – for a total of forty three.

David knew his time points were going to be better than Alain's since he had overtaken the boy; and indeed he had thirty five time points, nines from Britain and France and only seven from Germany who contended that the use of potions was an inferior way to succeed beside spells. David winced as he saw Severus eyeing the German judge thoughtfully.

Karl had only fifteen time points; which was still good by most people's standards. Germany gave him ten points for style – which surprised no-one - and France and Britain gave him seven apiece. Murphy said "We liked your summoning of a rope to cross the chasm for yourself but we felt the ways you chose for the transport of your sister lacked something in finesse. Had you continued your use of transfiguration to, say, make yourself and subsequently her, into a rat or squirrel or monkey to cross the rope that would have seemed worth more points; or had you then transfigured it into a rope bridge. You showed a lot of acrobatic skill crossing it by swarming along, and also returning with her tied to you, but the marshals were somewhat concerned. As, I have to say, was I. And the use of a full bubble was less efficient than say a bubblehead charm and a warming charm."

Karl bowed and clicked his heels.

"I am grateful for your instruction" he said "Everyone can see that British children are taught much flexibility; I am most happy to have the opportunity to learn by example of my honoured rival."

He did not seem disappointed to have come third in this test; he was having trouble hiding his elation.

The overall points now stood at Alain, fifty four; Karl, seventy four; and David, one hundred and seven.

The Hogwarts supporters cheered loudly.

David would set off on the final task next term a full thirty three seconds ahead of Karl, who would be twenty seconds ahead of Alain; for the points accrued over the first two tasks were to give pole position for the final, and traditionally a maze, task. And that would be set by Hogwarts; and would therefore, thought David, be quite fiendish.

It should be interesting.

The German judge spoke to David before the party reconvened indoors.

"You a metamorphagus are, of course?"

David looked surprised.

"Oh no!" he said "If I was a metamorphagus, I shouldn't have to concentrate on changing form as I don't have to concentrate to get into my animagus form."

"Indeed? What form is that?"

"Dog; as it is registered" said David.

"But you so easy make it seem to even a Gryphon become!" said the German "And my compatriots they saw you a basilisk also become!"

"Oh I think you'll find they saw wrongly" said David easily "I used _Serpensortia_ as soon as I had hovered down and transfigured the snake I produced; far easier. And as I had summoned it in the first place, I could banish it as easily."

The German's brow cleared.

"AH! That is much explaining, thank you Herr Fraser. Madam Bacsó is too given to flights of fancy. But still, a Gryphon…."

"Oh but I belong to House Gryffindor" said David "We have an affinity for such; even as the Slytherin have for snakes, the Ravenclaws for members of the crow family and Hufflepuffs for badgers and other bears. Were I a Slytherin I might have thought instead of an occamy or a quetzal."

The German judge nodded.

"I see; thank you for clearing that up" he said.

David heaved a private sigh of relief and resolved to spread his diplomatic lies to the rest of the Blood Group and MSHG as fast as possible.

To be able to produce a Basilisk from a wand was frightening enough to ODESSA; but it might be as well to keep the fact that all the bloodgroup had some of Krait's skill in transfiguring into magical creatures as yet a secret. It might be an ace in the hole! And he DID feel an affinity to Gryphons anyway!

The new Marauders had been preparing for the rescue of little Uschi for some time.

"It's short for Ursula, did you know?" Willow had said, for they had roped her in to have an older girl to reassure the smaller child.

"Well I'm not enamoured of either name, but then Germans think it okay to call a girl Irmtraut" said Hawke. "In her case fairly suitable; she is a silly old trout."

"It's Ermintrude in English" said Willow.

"And that's almost worse!" laughed Abraxus "Shades of Ermintrude the cow on Magic Roundabout!"

They all chuckled.

"Anyway, Uschi is NOT as bad a name as Nymphadora" said Kinat.

They agreed on that point.

The hospital wing was in one of the newer parts of the building and was therefore devoid – so far as they could determine – of secret passages.

"But we have to assume there'll be some German oik lurking outside in the passages – for her own safety of course" said Romulus "So we need to extend the secret passages."

"What do you suggest?" asked Hawke.

"A gate, like the loo network" said Romulus "Although unmarked."

"Into Myrtle's loo? And hide her in the chamber of secrets?" said Hawke.

"Don't be silly" snorted Willow "The kid's the same age as little Lydia, barely ten. She'll be scared stiff down there. We need to get her into the chimney room; or the goblin room. And I'm more in favour of the chimney room in case during the time we have to leave her alone she goes off poking a bit. In the goblin room that could take her to spiders. In the chimney room she's more likely to stay put for fear of getting lost in the dark. She won't have a wand and somehow I doubt she'll be either as talented or as enterprising as the Snapelings, before you start telling me Jade was her age when she and the other Junior marauders found the chimney passages. And of courtesy we should involve them; besides, with me that makes nine to open a gate which is arithmantically superior."

This was acknowledged fair on both counts; and the younger four were invited in to squabble over the precise location of the passage.

"I don't think it should go direct into the chimney passage" said Senagra firmly "Just in case Pepperup Poppy stumbles into it by accident."

"That's actually a damn good point" said Kinat, sounding surprised.

"She's rather good, your sister" said Romulus, smiling warmly at the little girl. Senagra beamed.

"What about the detention room where we first found the chimney passages?" suggested Lynx.

"Full marks the Junior Marauders" said Hawke "They ARE on the ball today! "I like; it's not as heavily used as a standard classroom so it gives more privacy – unless the third are being more than usually moronic in potions classes – and it's right next to a passage but nobody is going to guess TWO passages happen in one room! Opposite the fireplace – or beside it?"

"You'd look over and think about the carvings if it were opposite, maybe" said Romulus "And wonder about a continuation…beside the chimney breast means you come out looking away from the carvings, it's against psychology to then do a u-turn to go further."

"We get her out, blindfold her, turn her round several times, lead her about the classroom including opening and shutting the door and then in the hole" said Lynx "So even if anyone subsequently manages to legilimens her she won't even have a clue it's from the same room."

"I like" said Hawke "Simple but brilliant. And we need to hide the books in the room; some of them are not nice."

"A simple fidelius charm will cover that" said Abraxus "And only Marauders to be secret keepers."

Hawle nodded.

"We can leave some reading books for her" said Willow "And sewing stuff; European girls sew more than we do. With a cupboard with a preserve charm on like in the goblin room she can know she'll be safe for weeks even if we are watched; which we shan't be I don't suppose. Right, who's going to let me bloody his nose to go to see Madam Pomfrey and make preparations?"

"No go" said Hawke "She knows we wouldn't trouble her over something like that. I need a volunteer to have a rash…thank you Fabian, you're an observant type too I think you'll do very well."

Which is how come Fabian had spent the last few days of the Yule term in bed – allegedly – in the hospital wing whilst magically marking out a panel of wall to be a gate.

The Marauders had performed the ritual in the middle of the night when they first got back to school and, having tested it, had decided that while they were up, the chimney room needed airing and making cocoa there was as good a way of doing it as any.

In the few days before the competition that had made sure that their were books, fabrics, embroidery threads and sewing kit, a teddy bear and paper and coloured pencils in addition to a warm quilt, nice clean sheets and a couple of feather pillows and a well stocked cupboard. Willow sighed slightly at the boys' concept of 'well stocked' and added tinned fruit, fresh fruit and salad to baked beans, spam, crisps and chocolate.

She also covered the scrying mirror to Durmstrang, that had so far revealed disappointingly little. No point the child seeing it and being frightened.

And as little Uschi Heinz was hustled off to the sick bay, the marauders were set.

oOoOo

Uschi was excited.

Her brother had revealed to her in the dark and watery passage that he planned to defect to England and that her safety was paramount and that he had arranged for her defection ahead of his. He did not know how this was to be carried out; but told her that other children would collect her at some point before she returned to Germany and would keep her safe. Uschi had nodded solemnly and resolved to try not to be scared.

Being alone in Germany in a foster house with other orphans and a strict Hausmutter was much scarier. At least she was allowed to be with Karl for much of the holidays, but going back was always hard. And next year she had expected to go to Durmstrang; and she would still not have been with Karl as he was now in his final year. And she knew from what Karl had said – mostly to prepare her – that she must seem quite unemotional there and never show fear. It sounded a horrid place!

Mind you, one did not show fear in the foster house.

If one did the bullies soon struck. Being one of the older ones now it was less of a problem; but old habits died hard. And some of her former bullies must be at Durmstrang now and senior to her.

The children at Hogwarts that she had seen so far seemed to look happy; and unless they had been ordered to do so on pain of punishment that had to be good. And Karl spoke of it being a good place; and he had stayed several times, which surely meant he should know, because acting happy for days on end would be impossible unless you were!

A German Marshal was in the hospital building too; and that was a potential problem; though nice kind Madam Pomfrey had scolded him for the very idea of standing at her bedside.

"A little girl with a grown man standing over her? How improper!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "And what may I ask would you need to do that for? She's hardly an escaped prisoner from Azkaban or Nurmengard!"

The German retired abashed, murmuring something about only wanting to keep her safe.

"Do you then doubt my ability as school nurse to care for her?" demanded Pomfrey coldly "I have been caring for the children of Hogwarts for many years; and nobody has ever complained before!"

There was little the man could say; but he insisted on positioning himself outside the door and accompanying Madam Pomfrey every time she came to check on her charge. Uschi was almost in tears; they would not be able to rescue her! They must suspect Karl!

Then, after Madam Pomfrey retired after leaving a tea tray, a patch of wall suddenly glowed; and a good looking blonde boy followed by a dark haired girl walked into the room, grinning.

Uschi put her finger to her lip and pointed to the door. The tall girl waved her wand, whispering

"_Muffliatus!_ There, nobody can hear now…. Sprechen sie Englisch?"

"Yes, my brother had all knowledge transferred to me magically" said Uschi "He told me at first it was so I should not feel so strange, but now I know why you are here I know it was to help me escape!"

"And they actually have a guard on the door of a ten-year-old kid? Creeps!" said Willow.

"I do not know what creeps is but it sounds like what I feel about Herr Hertz" said Uschi.

"That's more or less what it means" said Willow.

"He would have stood always by my bed but Madam Pomfrey would not let him" said Uschi, and reported the conversation.

"Hmm. We need to protect Pepperup Poppy – love that name for her, kudos to the Junior Marauders – even if Abraxus doesn't like her that much. There's disliking and then there's causing trouble" said Hawke. "Don't let us stop you eating by the way; we're having ours saved for us. Okay, the best thing I think is for you to leave a note to your brother saying for some reason you don't want to go back and you're planning to hide out amongst muggles as – as a pet cat because you've discovered you're an animagus. That'll fox 'em. Willow and me'll tear up sheets to make a rope that you've supposedly climbed out of the window on, Poppy's have our guts for garters if she finds out, but better that than them trying to have her dragged off to their loathsome prison to accuse her of having anything to do with kidnapping you."

"Then if I was doing that I would also write a note to her apologising for tearing her sheets and thanking her for her kind care of me" said Uschi.

"Do that then; you must act as you would naturally" said Willow, getting out a knife.

"Not _Diffindo_?" asked Hawke.

"DUR – wand-work shows, the kid hasn't got a wand – oh – _accio scalpel_ and if I use this it'll look like she found one in here" she added using the scalpel that flew to her hand. "I'll drop it on the floor after wiping off any prints – if they use fingerprints – for a heavy enough clue even a member of the German Ministry can find, being doubly handicapped in being a member of a ministry as well as being German."

"I'm German" said Uschi.

"Yes, but you and your brother are young enough to grow out of it" said Willow cheerfully.

"She can't spell tact you know" said Hawke, tying together strips as Willow cut them.

"Is she your girlfriend?" asked Uschi.

"Thank all the powers of the universe, no" said Hawke.

"Never be rude to a woman with a knife in her hand" said Willow serenely.

Hawke grinned.

"There's a group of us who are really good friends, Uschi, and we're in charge of rescuing you. Willow is a friend, like the other boys are friends, no more."

"I have finished eating, please, shall I letters write?"

Willow produced paper and a quill from the end of her wand, thought for a moment and added a school letterhead and the addition that the sick bay had on its notepaper for sending home those stern letters – Willow informed Uschi – telling parents that little angel-face had come back to school with chizpurfles AGAIN or had suffered an outbreak of Fairy Flu or was to be watched and not allowed to pick doxy bites or whatever.

"Sometimes she leaves it lying around; and she won't remember if she has or not, especially if she's been upset over one of her charges, and if he as good as accused her of incompetence as you say, she'll be well upset" said Willow. "Don't forget to write in German to Karl and careful but poor English to Madam Pomfrey."

Uschi needed the timely warning; she was settling into using English and had not thought about using different languages.

She wrote carefully, in German,

_"Dear Karl,_

_You know how unhappy I am with mean old Hausmutter in the kinderhaus and with Heinrich who always hurts me when he can. He will go also to Durmstrang next year and I cannot bear it. I have felt drawn to being a cat for some time and have secretly practised being an animagus; so I will hide as a pet cat in England with muggles and maybe I will see you again one day. I am sorry to distress you when you have exams and the Triwizard competition but it is my only opportunity to be safe. Heinrich said I need not think I was special to go as your person to be rescued and he would beat me back into my place when I returned. I will never return. Good luck, all my love, Uschi."_

"Nice" said Willow, reading over her shoulder "A nice child who thinks to be sorry for causing her brother trouble but too scared to do anything else. You have a good instinct for this sort of work."

Uschi smiled timidly.

"Like you said, I have to act as if I was doing this" she said.

To Madam Pomfrey she wrote,

_"Dear Madam Pomfree,_

_I most sorry am the sheets to tear. You have very kindly been and I thank you most much, Uschi Heinz."_

"Excellent" Hawke approved. "How tall are you? Ah, Willow, that chair?"

They piled a chair on two lockers shoved together – the windows being quite high – and fastened the makeshift rope to the back of an iron bedstead, throwing the other end out of the window.

"You take her through the passage; I'll actually climb down and make it look stretched and put footmarks at the bottom" said Willow. "A shrinking charm I think to her size….catch you later, kiddo!" and she shrank to Uschi's size, scrambled lightly up and over the sill. "Yes, footmarks necessary; several feet of drop at the bottom!" she said gaily; and was gone.

Hawke cancelled the muffling spell, with a finger to his lips, and led Uschi through the gate.

There he blindfolded her, and led her around, opening and shutting the door, as they had decided; and finally introduced her to the secret passage.

"I'm going to take the blindfold off so you can see where to put your feet; it's steep" he said "And when you get to the secret room I want you to promise me you'll stay put; there's a whole labyrinth of passages, maybe more than any one person could ever know, and I don't want you getting lost."

Uschi nodded, all big eyes as he took off the blindfold.

Hawke had decided that a white lie about the number of passages might keep her safer than if she accidentally came out somewhere it was better to avoid!

Uschi was enchanted by the little room, when they reached it, and moved by the care her rescuers had gone to in order to make her feel comfortable and have things to do!

"We'll feed you regularly, but in case there's a problem with the German ministry crawling all over the place, there's food enough for you so we can to lie low for a couple of days" said Hawke. "One of us will pop in before bed time – all being equal!"

"Thank you so much!" said Uschi, hoping he would go quickly so she could cry tears of relief in private without a big boy watching. Hawke understood; and he patted her shoulder kindly and left her to it.

Once she had cried herself out she would feel truly free at last!


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Madam Pomfrey snatched back the note that the big German, Hertz, had grabbed from her hand after reading the one addressed to Karl.

"It may be a custom in YOUR country to read the mail of others – as you appear to read a note addressed to that child's brother but in OUR country we consider it ill-bred and low!" she snapped. "The child appears to have fled – and if your heavy handed approach is normal I can almost understand why. Now give me that boy's letter and we shall have him in Professor Dumbledore's office to read it and you shall see how civilised people behave!" she snatched Karl's note and put it in the capacious pocket of her apron and whisked off, grabbing the nearest junior to summon the German champion to Professor Dumbledore's office, and, as she described her, Madam Baksheesh too.

Karl read the note from his sister; and handed it directly to Dumbledore.

"She climbed out of the window you say?" he said in lively horror "Donner und Blitzen! But this Heinrich of whom she writes, he is a nasty bully…..but it is so cold! I beg you, Professor Dumbledore, have your people search for her continuously and find her!"

"We will send our own Politzei to find her" said Herz grimly.

"I BEG your pardon?" said Dumbledore "I thought – though I must have been mistaken – that you suggested sending foreign aurors in to seek down a little girl; and your tone was of that of a criminal!"

"She defects; she is a criminal" said Hertz.

"I do not understand you" said Dumbledore "She is ten years old, yes? A babe. A babe cannot be a criminal. She runs in terror from a bully in a … I presume an orphanage. Should you not be investigating the orphanage instead to find what is so terrible about it that a child prefers to be stranded in a foreign country than return to it? I assure you, I shall see that every effort is made to recover the child safely; but if any foreign politzei start interfering, I assure you they will find themselves in prison. Your methods are not welcome her, mein Herr. Let me see this child's escape route."

"I too would like to see the letter, Professor Dumbledore" said Madam Bacsó.

"Karl? Is it your wish that I pass it to your head?" asked Dumbledore "It was written to YOU after all."

Karl hesitated, wondering what would happen if he said 'no' and decided that discretion was the better part of valour; and nodded. Bacsó almost snatched it from Dumbledore.

"So" she sneered in German "Your sister is a coward."

"Hardly" said Dumbledore in the same language "If she is brave enough to escape in a strange land. The bravest may break under intolerable strain. If, for example, I placed the cruciatus curse on you every day to prove my supposed superiority I think you too might decide to flee; for a child there are methods of bullying that seem to another child as bad. Come!"

Dumbledore examined the makeshift rope.

"It has certainly been used" he said "See how the knots have pulled, and it has rubbed on the sill; we shall go downstairs now."

Dumbledore had a strong suspicion that members of David's friends had been responsible for this; and he had every expectation that all would be in order.

Under the dangling end of the rope were drop marks in the still snowy ground; a step or two; then the neat round footprints of a cat, running towards the forbidden forest.

"Ask Mr Fraser to come out here, and Professor Black" said Dumbledore to Madam Pomfrey who had come along.

David turned up, puzzled; and Sirius no less so.

"A small child – Karl Heinz' sister – has run away" said Dumbledore softly "She appears to have become a cat animagus; I fear for her safety. Will you use your unique abilities to follow?"

"Certainly Professor" said Sirius; and David nodded, heavy hearted. Had the child decided to escape on her own? But she knew to expect…..as he shrugged into dog form David smelled a familiar scent on the footsteps; and barked, wagging his tail.

The scent was more familiar even to Padfoot, who made an interrogative 'wuff?' of confusion to David. David bounded off in the direction of the tracks; and Padfoot followed. Out of sight they changed back.

"That's WILLOW's footsteps" said Padfoot.

"Laying a false trail…. Of course!" laughed David. "Karl wants to defect; he wanted Uschi safe too. Now we have to invent a story about how we lost her trail."

"Let's go down to Hagrid's for a butterbeer and come back after running through a bush or two in a few hours and declare dejectedly that the tracks went to a muggle road, and the scent ended where a car seemed to have pulled over" said Sirius "Muggles can be pretty sentimental over lost cats; we can assume she'll be well cared for as long as she stays in cat form; to trace her otherwise will take a bit of a while and the use of muggle resources that have to be handled very carefully…."

"You're a genius, Padfoot" said David.

"Where is she really?" asked Sirius.

"I neither know nor want to know" said David. "But not in the goblin room; Willow would never lead tracks in that direction if that's what they're using. For all I know she may just as well be in the kitchens with the house elves or at Malfoy Manor as in the other secret room. The New Marauders will probably move her around at that; in case the Germans think to use Karl's blood in ritual to find her."

"If they're that good at blood ritual" said Sirius. "Sev might know a ritual to prevent it at that, like making places unplottable – Merlin's teeth, it's easy, put her somewhere under a fidelius charm!"

"Of course" said David "Easy. I'll remind them – in case they've forgotten, which will appease their pride if they didn't think of it – that a fidelius charm covers ritual findings and sendings and includes house elves not attached by blood to the one hidden. Karl said she was in some kind of orphanage; if his family had any elves, she wouldn't need to be."

Two dogs limped back looking footsore and bedraggled with their story some hours later.

"Well at least we know she is safe and warm somewhere, Madam Bacsó" said Dumbledore heartily. "Ah, if we only knew the precise form of her cat we could post messages about a missing pet! It is one thing muggles are so sentimental about, it would bring her back easily!"

"Do YOU know boy?" Bacsó rounded on Karl.

"I had no idea she was an animagus!" said Karl with perfect truth.

"I suggest we rest until tomorrow" said Dumbledore "And I will utilise every power I have at my disposal to see that this child is safe and sound!"

David noted he did NOT say brought back.

Dumbledore knew when to know nothing and pick his words with care!

The Marauders were glad of a hint about using a fidelius charm; and proceeded to put one in place about the secret room, involving Sirius and Severus and Krait as well to make sure they had emergency access to it.

"Any of the Blood Group ought to be able to apparate to it anyway because it's a house elf type apparition" said Severus "Which counts as we're tied to each other; and once in we can walk out and find it again. But it WILL cover her from ritual findings. And it's not such a bad idea to have it covered like that anyway, so anyone else might find the passages but only marauders know of the marauding room, as one might call it. And it's more private than the Room of Requirements. That incidentally would also act to swallow any ritual finding; if that was what you required of it. And it is set up for your needs even if not clearly expressed. But a clever person can find their way around it if they suspect it's in use and have a good idea of the conditions set. Besides, others might need it in the time you have to hide this child; and the Room of Requirements only works on one thing at a time if it's occupied. People could go in and out while we hid the muggleborn in there; but it couldn't be used for anything else WHILE they were there. But we also found the place where things are hidden to search for Horcruces because we worked out the conditions set."

The marauders all nodded; having their own secret room was much better than using a room anyone might find.

The German authorities were worried. The fact that Uschi was only a little girl was immaterial; it was the fact that she had tried to escape – and the fact that she was their hold over their Triwizard champion.

Herr Herz went to the Ministry of Magic to DEMAND that aurors be sent to find the runaway.

The Ministry sent an Auror to Hogwarts; the Auror was Draco Malfoy. He listened to Herr Hertz, sent for Karl and asked to see the note the child had written.

"Hmm quite clear" he said. "Herr Herz, Frau Bacsó, I really fail to see why my time has been wasted. There has been no kidnapping; the child has run away voluntarily. No CRIME has been committed; therefore this affair is no business of any auror. A child is in potential danger; I will ask the minister of education to appoint a suitable person to look into this and oversee her welfare; Professor Dumbldore, I was planning on recommending you, if you will take on this additional duty?"

"Certainly, Mr Malfoy" said Dumbledore formally "I would be glad to; especially as the poor child has fled my protection, not realising that she had only to ask for asylum here to be given it."

"You will then be willing to give her asylum as she fears to return to her home?" said Draco.

"Most certainly" said Dumbledore. "She is, I believe, almost old enough to enter school in any case; I would place her under the wardship of one of my married staff."

Draco nodded.

"I do not think anyone would dispute that the guardianship of Hogwarts could be surpassed" he said. "I expect you Germans will be wishing to have your own authorities investigate this kinderhaus from which she is fleeing; that DOES sound like a matter for Aurors, or Geheimstadtpolizei* or whatever you call them. You will receive a bill from the ministry for wasting my time. Good day, your servant Professor Dumbledore."

With which Draco bowed to Dumbledore with the profound respect of a former Head Boy to his old Headmaster and strode off to a properly distant apparating zone, from which he apparated back within the castle to ask David what the hell was going on and to laugh over irritating Durmstrangers.

"They'll still try to find her of course" said Draco "Keep her secret – keep her safe."

"Who died and made you Gandalf?" said David amicably. "Yes, I'm alive to the possibility of them trying to kidnap her if they found where she was; and I am also aware that the place is going to crawl with agents. Poor Karl isn't going to be able to have a quiet shit in peace without them checking that he's not farting in code to contact his sister; but he's going to have to live with that. He knew that before he approached me to help her away. And I don't know where she is and I'm keeping it that way; I don't want to know. Then I can look their best legilimens in the eye and say 'dunno' with a pure unsullied conscience."

Draco grinned.

"Nice" he said. "well, love you and leave you; let me know if there are any suspicious characters hanging about the castle; you all have a duty of care to the little ones. Can't have suspect paedophiles mooching around, can we now!"

David laughed.

"Absolutely not!" he agreed.

And the Germans had no option but to return to their own country seething.

Somehow Lionel Dell and gang got word of something that was going on – David always suspected it was via Alice Trumball through Hagrid who had been pleased if surprised to spend a convivial evening with him and Sirius the evening they had supposedly been out sniffing out footprints. With the Germans complaining about the disappearance of young Uschi and the lax behaviour of the two top trackers it did not take a clever boy like Lionel long to put two and two together and make a conspiracy.

"And if she wanted to escape and Fraser's helping it behoves us to help HIM" he said to his bloodgroup "And I don't trust these Germans."

"If they run true to form they'll have all sorts of secret agents poking around looking for her" said Callum.

Dell grinned.

"So let's give them what they want" he said.

"Come again?" said Melody.

"Well, if you girls all try to look as much like the kid as possible, they'll stalk you; and we follow them and then we _stupefy_ them and send frantic owls to the ministry that a bunch of perverts are out after our little girls…. You're too tall Melody; sorry. Cynner's all right; Alice is too tall; Freya's spot on. Mary-Anne, we could lighten your hair a bit with spells; Tamsin's hair is wrong. But that's three Uschi Heinzes to fool them with."

The others voted it a capital idea; because they could now make a blood call it was safer too!

"We stay weel inside the anti-apparation zone though" said Alice "So they cannae snatch someone and just go, we'll hae a chance to jump 'em. And we could get Hagrid involved too; he doesnae like people that bully children. He's real glad the kid he just adopted isnae in eastern Europe any more."

"Poor Hagrid, it's a shame about what was done to him" said Mary-Anne.

"D'you think we ought to invite him into our Blood group?" said Dell "He's kind and he's been badly treated and he may not be very bright but he's shrewd enough. And it'd give him more magic; and give us a grown up who isn't very.

"Let's get him used to us being around, work with us on things like this a few times, then tell him about it" said Callum. "He's a bit nervous of cousin Severus you know; and what HE might say."

"Anyone in their right mind is a bit nervous of your cousin Severus, even if he does lighten up considerable in the MSHG" said Lionel. "He's the sort of person you instinctively want to call 'sir'."

The scheme worked like a dream.

Fake Uschis were escorted out by other single little girls, surreptitiously and with much peering about and giggling.

Mary-Anne was the first to be grabbed; and she screamed piercingly as several other children leaped out and cast a selection of corridor jinxes on her assailant since they did not as yet know any worse ones; but the best agent in the world simultaneously dancing frantically with his knees on backwards with bats crawling out of his nose is going to be a little discommoded.

Being stunned by Hagrid's pink brolly – Hagrid being fetched by an artfully tearful Alice – was almost a relief.

He was dragged to the castle.

Draco turned up very promptly.

"And you say you've seen several suspicious persons, Miss Green?" he asked.

Mary-Anne took refuge in a hanky.

It was widely reputed that Draco was a legilimens.

"Well I had better stay here for a while and keep an eye open" said Draco.

Freya was the next Uschi to be grabbed; and she did her own stunning by dint of kicking him in the crotch and hitting him on the head with the book she had with her.

"Call yourself a witch?" said Cynner, absently booting the groggy German in the side of the head.

"And you can talk how?"

"Well it seemed to work so I kinda thought, if it ain't broke, don't fix it" said Cynner.

Dell was delighted to catch two with one bait when it was Cynner's turn; he, Tim and the Tuthills and Callum were on overwatch, and Tamsin was the second little girl. Two wizards converged, and addressed the girls in German.

"No hable englees" said Tamsin, just to confuse them.

Cynner cowered artistically and shouted,

"I English am!" with a fair copy of Karl's accent.

One went to grab her; the other levelled his wand.

It was Ross with his borrowed wand who managed _expelliarmus!_ to disarm him; and then Lionel pulled out the performance of his life to cast the jelly leg jinx and tarantallegra simultaneously on the other, who promptly started flopping around in an obscene rag doll kind of dance. Callum covered the other in nettles and Tim reversed his knees.

Draco strolled out.

"Two for one bag; nice work kids. Is that the lot now?"

"I think so sir" said Dell, who knew when the time to dissemble and seem innocent was past. Draco knew exactly what they were up to. Draco looked at him thoughtfully.

"Well if you weren't a blood group I'd have torn you off a strip about undue risk – just because we were all up to that sort of thing at your age doesn't mean I'm supposed to sanction it – but as you are you've minimised risk. Run through your ritual with me."

Lionel did so.

Draco nodded.

"Seems good. Avoid having thirteen members unless you calculate it as arithmantically good for YOU; it is for some, my twin cousins swear by it as a good number for them. If in doubt, avoid it. Learn to block; you don't want the whole lot picking up when you're snogging someone. And tell Fraser to take that Tuthill boy to Diagon Alley. I'll take charge of these now…..nettles? up the nose? That's novel…. I think his airway's blocked with nettle rash you extravagant children. Still if he dies I shan't lose any sleep."

He removed the nettles with a shake of his wand; hoisted both agents in the air by the ankle with a murmured _levicorpus_ and prepared to drag them along by wand.

He paused.

"The counter to levicorpus is liberacorpus; try to use it only on bullies if you please; or in duelling. So few people seem to be able to think straight head down. Especially" he murmured looking at his captives with distaste "when wearing only robes not trousers and with rather…. German …..underwear."

One had striped purple and gold shorts on his rather podgy lower torso; the other wore long-johns that might have been better for laundering.

The children giggled.

Draco walked away, using his wand to drag both by the ankle, holding it raised like a conductor's baton.

The German agents looked very silly.

These agents had not known what had happened to the others; now they found out.

They were taken to an interrogation room at the ministry and subjected to a haranguing interrogation along the lines of 'how long have you been a pervert, what age of little girls do you enjoy harming and how many are there in your loathsome paedophile ring that hangs around Hogwarts.'

Prepared to resist questioning about being agents this line of questioning so completely confused them that they were begging to confess to being secret agents in order not to be thought of as child-spoilers.

Draco thought it a masterpiece.

It had been his idea, after all.

They were sent to Azkaban for 'spying with intent to pervert the course of free competition and game fixing.'

Why else would German secret agents be around Hogwarts after all?

The German authorities were informed of course; and an official complaint was made by Hogwarts and Beauxbatons over this blatant gamesmanship.

The Germans had no choice but to accept this explanation and apologise for over zealous and out of order underlings.

The Marauders made Dell's group official marauding adjuncts; and showed them some of their passages, though not the goblin ones nor the chimney ones as yet.

Being approved of by the Marauders was, however, something to be proud of!

David duly took Ross – and Lionel – to Diagon Alley for kit, especially his own wand.

Willow had snorted and said

"Easy, willow with a dragon's heart core, twelve and a half inches."

Willow was rarely wrong; but with a willow wand, twelve and three eights inches with a dragon heartstring core, Ross was duly impressed.

They were all less impressed by the man who was selling a house elf child.

She was half goblin by the look of it; and was about four; and David did not like the look of one of the bidders.

"_Langlock_" he murmured under his breath as the man was about to speak again; and put in his own bid.

It would make a big hole in his account at Gringotts; but that was what it was for. He left Lionel in charge of the child – and seeing nothing happened to her – while he went for the money.

"I say, Fraser, I can get some from dad to help cover it" said Lionel "That was awfully well done; it's a CRIME to sell a house elf if you ask me; how can they trust their family if they get sold off?"

"The whole slavery business is a crime but unavoidable until elves see that too" said David. "being enslaved by race, colour of skin or unfortunate geographical location is one of the darker sides of human behaviour; only muggles have become too sophisticated for it."

Lionel's ears burned scarlet.

That was almost a criticism from his hero.

"Is – is it unsophisticated?"

"Any cruelty is unsophisticated" said David.

Lionel digested this.

"I'm going to learn to be sophisticated then" he said. "Should I free our family elf then? He's elderly and I don't think he'd like it."

"Then by no means do so" said David "But treat him with respect."

"How can I do anything else? He helped bring me up, he's spanked me for goodness sake!" said Lionel.

David grinned.

"Then he sounds more a family member than a slave; and that's all good. Now, little one, what is your name?"

"Neesa" said the child. "What did Neesa do wrong?"

"Nothing sweetheart" sighed David "Nothing at all. It was…other people. Ross, don't say a word; I doubt anyone of THAT person's calibre will have taken note of the ministry directive to tell them not to punish themselves…your dad did, Lionel?"

"Of course….Gresley said, why would he want to do something stupid like that that was counterproductive and wouldn't help his family any? So dad said, good, well just don't."

"Your Gresley sounds out of the ordinary sensible and reasoning" said David "I think Severus would be grateful to talk to him if he'd visit; Sev is trying to figure out how to lift the self punishing curse and it's proving hard. If he can see how Gresley got around it with casuistry, sophistry or logic he would be well pleased."

"Lumme, that was a collection of words worthy of Professor Snape himself – I CAN't think of him as Severus yet Fraser, let alone Sev!"

David laughed.

"Let's take this little mite along home, anyway; and see about finding her a mum and dad."

David did not expect to run into the squib Anastasius Smith in the Leaky Cauldron drinking with muggle actress Grace Sylvia.

"Oh what a poppet!" said Grace holding out her arms to Neesa "She's not pure elf, is she?"

"You can see that much?" David was surprised.

"Anastasius has filled me in on a lot… and I know several of you Hogwarts kids. He says I'm a sensitive. It's why I was picked out by a creep called Cassius Prince once" she said.

David froze.

"You knew Prince? He's related to my guardian and we're trying to bring together his various abandoned children."

"I had an abortion….which I always regretted" said Grace sadly "My baby would have been about her age I think…working on downsizing my estimate."

"She's about four and half goblin; a man sold her" said David.

Grace looked at Anastasius.

He nodded.

"Grace and I are getting wed" he said "We'll adopt the babe; give her more attention. Not that Madam Malfoy doesn't give plenty to her kids, and Madam Snape too but….you know."

David nodded, somewhat relieved.

"You'll be part of the wizarding world?"

"Yes, we're moving up to the Orme Court part of the world" said Grace "I have a good salary. And I'd like to reimburse you what you paid."

David flushed.

"Well… I am sponsoring some Romanian orphans stranded in the wizarding world" he said "I won't say no."

"Don't muggles have lots of paperwork and stuff?" asked Lionel.

"I'll see Arthur Weasley about it" said Anastasius. "Romanian orphans – that gives me an idea, she'll look small and slightly – foreign – to muggles; if we have Arthur make out documents that she's gypsy blood and with a growth hormone deficiency illness it'll explain her size. Can you ask someone to deal with any….compulsions?"

"Sev will do it" said David.

"That's a very good man" said Anastasius "And you're lucky to have him as your guardian."

"I know" said David "I couldn't have picked a better father next to my own."

Neesa was tired out after the tribulations of being sold; and Grace cuddled her until she fell asleep.

"Give me a few months and she'll be a naughty, noisy child and quite normal" she said firmly.

David believed it.

Grace Sylvia was a good friend; and a most excellent woman.

He said to Lionel as they went out,

"And THAT's an example of a most excellent muggle; far removed from your mother's paramour."

Lionel nodded soberly.

"It'll make life hard for her in the muggle world having what people will see as a handicapped child, won't it, as it will in the wizarding world rearing a – a poor little travesty like Neesa."

"Yes; and don't think she doesn't know that. She's rich, which will help; she has a televis – she acts on a kind of muggle wireless that sends pictures as well as sounds, like the films we have in the MSHG – and it pays well. The marauders sometimes act as extras – uh, if they need a scene with street kids. But she didn't hesitate. She's got a heart as big as London town."

"Like – like Professor Snape I guess" said Lionel. "I never knew he was your guardian."

"Didn't I mention it when I told you about the orphanage? I guess I was more interested in making you see about some things" said David. "He took me on without pausing either. I never wanted to be adopted; I love him like a father, but you see, there were my memories of mum and dad. And he's always respected that" he added softly.

"He is a great man, isn't he?" said Lionel. "He's Severin Prince, isn't he, as well as Severus Snape?"

"He is" said David "And you may share that only with your blood group – yes, Draco told me, you young limbs – because he's also a very shy and private man, however much he may be able to relax and open out in the MSHG. Lucius and the others in the know protect his identity; and I ask you to do so too."

Lionel and Ross nodded seriously.

"We shall" Lionel answered for both of them.

With regards to Ross's wand, David later asked Willow,

"When did you know what wand he should have?"

Willow looked surprised.

"When he was Sorted of course" she said. "I make it a hobby to guess and then see if I can find out how close I am. Wands are more than a science; they're an art too."

"Willow, you prune, don't you realise that if you can see what sort of wand someone should have it means you can see if they ought to have a wand at all?"

Willow looked surprised.

"You know, I think you're onto something there" she said "It never occurred….the hat accepted him. It may have been seeing the future that he'd get more talent but….no, he already found some effect and he could do potions….hmm. I'll work on that!"

David reflected that people with extraordinary talents did not always realise how extraordinary that they were or how useful the said talents might be!

oOOo

*_Gestapo, a reference that probably passed the Germans by but amused Draco_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Geoffrey Stroulger might be said to be distinguished by being the only Gryffindor in the fifth NOT in the MSHG which he considered a childish waste of time; and since he was considered a bit of a bully – he had started off by unkindness to poor Fish soon leaped upon by Abraxus and friends – he was reckoned by most to only not belong to Porteous and Derwent's gang because he would not work with Slytherin. With Dione Parnassus defecting to the MSHG, they were the only three people collectively that did not belong in the whole year, Abraxus declared since one could not count Ravenclaws as people.

The other Gryffindors at least concurred with this opinion.

Stroulger's favourite tactic was to make a snide remark right before exams and tests to put others off their stride to make his own showing better; and since Dione had been working harder at potions he no longer shared the lowest place in the class with her. He showed his colours by asking her how much she had needed to make up to Professor Snape in order for her marks to start rising.

Dione was planning on trying to behave; but some things went beyond what she could take.

It took Madam Pomfrey the rest of the day to ease Stroulger's cauldron off his rather prominent ears. The new marauders remarked that facially it was an improvement.

Stroulger complained loudly – and in a muffled and hollow sort of way – about that Slytherin bitch. Pomfrey took up cudgels on 'the poor boy's' behalf.

"Poor boy my foot" said Severus testily "The boy is a bully; Miss Parnassus had finally shaped up and come good – she has had some significant trauma in her home life to make her act badly – and he was getting at her. I shall set her punishment, Poppy, of course, but don't waste your sympathy on a creature like Stroulger. No it's NOT because he's a Gryffindor; and ask any of his Gryff class mates their opinion. Abraxus Malfoy was laughing louder than anyone; he has to share a dormitory with the little creep."

Poppy Pomfrey did not LIKE taking Snape's word; but he sounded merely bored not dripping with malice as he so often had done over Harry Potter.

And she had not liked Stroulger's choice of language.

Dione accepted scrubbing cauldrons – to teach her respect for the poor things – with philosophy.

The wording Professor Snape had chosen showed that respect for Stroulger was not something he was bothered about.

Besides, Dione was happy, despite her fears about her pregnancy.

She was made to feel like a person by Professor Snape and Madam Malfoy, not a toy to be pulled about; and her father had written a long and loving letter apologising for his neglect of her and sending her a parcel of goodies as a token of his love for her. He promised to visit her soon as well, and say sorry in person, but that Professor Snape had suggested waiting a little while. He sent sweeties, and coloured scarves and some pretty but suitable bits of jewellery and enclosed a baby hat knitted laboriously by Grindley. Dione might have wished to have more of her father's time earlier than presents now; but at least he was trying.

And she had new friends who treated her well, and were not just out for what they might get from someone who looked enough like a Malfoy to be likely to be related closely. Actually she was less closely related to the main Malfoy line than Lionel Dell; but wizards differ in no way to muggles in making value judgements on appearances. It was why she had clung to Elisa Mourne; who had admired her for her looks but not her wealth or connections. Now she had friends better socially connected than herself and it made no difference. It was nice to be treated as though she was liked for her own sake.

Dione, starting to like people, was therefore starting to be likeable; at least in the relatively small social group to which she had been invited. Other members of the MSHG, seeing the inner members behaving warmly to her were at least polite; and with social concourse came the overcoming of much bias against her. She was still rather shy, and tended to stick beside Krait, Elisa or Sephara and Myrtle; but she was getting there.

oOoOo

David and his year were learning Apparation.

That is to say, David was bored, knowing exactly what he was doing and hoping the exam would fall just after his birthday not just before; and his classmates were undertaking the attempt with more or less success.

Fortunately, Wido Mordaunt's effort of producing a concrete cow in the great hall and a clear view of Milton Keynes was more easily cleared up than the gate to Basingstoke Railway Station; and Appollonia Baldry managed to regrow the fingernails she splinched from herself. Erich was as bored as David of course; and Percy Weasley, the ministry man of the year was delighted with such promising pupils. Especially as they were Gryffindors.

Jade Snape managed to pay back several slights to her friend and protégé Godfrey Goodchild by distracting the attention of his older siblings with the sound of harp strings as they apparated; and both had to be rescued from a painful conjoining with the school harp which had momentarily been a feature of their thoughts just as they were in the process of apparation.

Jade and Godfrey thought it very funny and told jokes that the Goodchild twins could be relied on to go directly to the harp of the matter.

The Goodchild twins were NOT amused.

"Oh sorry, I guess I did harp on about it rather" said Jade "But no strings attached…" her hovering charm was quick enough that the joint attack on her led to the twins hexing each other.

Jade thought that was funny too; but decided that being elsewhere was prudent.

"Leaving now!" she said "Try not to string each other along too much…."

The language was not fit for a first year's ears in any case.

She was fortunate that nobody actually realised that the musical distraction had been deliberate and reported her for it to her elders; it WAS a potentially dangerous prank and Jade would probably have found herself scrubbing cauldrons and worse for a very long time. However the only people who guessed reckoned that the Goodchilds deserved it and she recieved nothing worse than a cuff from each of the Marauders for not thinking.

oOoOo

The apparation exams fell on David's birthday; and he wondered if Dumbledore had pulled strings.

It was a great birthday present to have an apparating licence together with Erich and Fenella Fenwick who had proven that she had the concentration to do really quite well. They were also free of the age tag of course!

Severus and Krait threw a big birthday party for David and Erich jointly – Erich was a week or so older – that was also a congratulations party on their apparation licences.

The only thing left for the end of term was the visit of St Jodoc's to play cricket.

David was relieved to think that Lionel Dell had come to terms with muggles and was therefore not about to turn what could be a very fertile imagination on the visitors. The cricket eleven were very impressed with the four poster beds in Gryffindor Tower – the fat lady had been moved temporarily and had needed to be pacified with several stillish lifes of tasty food – while the boys of the fifth moved good naturedly on the whole to Slytherin House for the weekend.

Stroulger set up a fuss of course; and the Malfoy twins were moved to offer to show him how small a cauldron they could get on his head and stand him up in a corner in the potions dungeon in it overnight. He shut up almost immediately; he believed them.

Both Strellands played on the cricket team, Katie and Kelvin both enjoying the game; Willow of course, and both Malfoy twins, Romulus, David, Martin Umbridge, Elisa Mourne, Ian Kell also played, and the new boy Ross Tuthill who was a natural.

His skill had Lionel Dell volunteer to learn having watched the match and cheered him hoarse with a half century and a six before he was caught behind by Lee Nuffield.

The visitors won by what Hogwarts considered a respectable score of two hundred and thirty seven runs to one hundred and ninety eight.

They had acquitted themselves respectably against the Cornish boys.

Lee and David made a pact to meet outside the Leaky Cauldron when Willow fixed the St Jodoc's boy with a thoughtful eye and said,

"Oak, runespoor spinal cord, fourteen inches."

"What?" said Lee.

"She has a knack of knowing what kind of wand people should have" said David "Never known her to be wrong actually save by a fraction of an inch length here or there. If she can see what wand you need, you need a wand."

"Well, you're the expert!" said Lee cheerfully.

David had something else to look forward to in the Easter Holidays; his first referee's exams, and he invited Lee along to watch that too.

"Get some idea of Quidditch" he said.

Lee was delighted!

It would not be hard to get permission from his parents to stay with a friend he had made from another school to watch a sports match! And Severus also agreed to write to Lee's parents, as David's guardian, for a formal invitation.

"Some holiday soon I may actually take a rest!" joked David!

Lee was fascinated to enter Diagon Alley through the yard wall behind it; and to walk into a whole different world.

"Gosh Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas any more" he said.

David laughed.

"That's actually funnier than you realise; because I'm an animagus, a wizard who has an animal form that is as natural to wear, almost, as the human one; and mine's a dog. They call me Fido Fraser; though I'm a big black dog rather than a small article like Toto."

Lee grinned.

"I'm guessing from the way you say it that it's not that common."

"There's only really a handful of animagi in Britain and most of them are at Hogwarts either as students or staff. There are so many stories of who does what why, what terrible things have happened in the Wizarding world and how most people are so happy that such a time is over…. I will tell you it all properly. But let's get you a wand first."

Lee could not keep from staring about him at the strange and wonderful sights in Diagon Alley, from a notice advertising collapsible cauldrons to the professional quidditch player testing a new broom.

"How can you be sure they won't collapse when in mid use?" asked Lee as they walked past the cauldron shop.

"You can't" said David, shortly. "All these gimmick cauldrons, like self-stirring ones, would never be used by a true potioneer, they're for bored housewitches who want more gadgets. You know, like the sillier gadgets in Kleeneze catalogues."

Lee grinned.

"My first intimation that people don't really change much" he said "And do the bookshops have a high shelf for pornography?"

"No, you buy that from the dodgy publication house in Obscura Alley which also produces 'Divination – Tomorrow!' which is a rag that casts horoscopes and stuff and is hardly more accurate than the horoscopes you get in Muggle daily papers. Two of our juniors make a bomb writing articles for it that began as a hoot and currently keeps them in sweeties. If the editor knew they're only twelve years old he'd probably have conniptions, but as they're the most accurate of his contributors, so far as I can gather, I'm not about to blow the whistle on them. They're from poverty stricken homes both of them and if they can make money out of the idiots that buy that crap….oh yeah, sorry a hobby horse of mine, they also publish 'Playwizard' which is mostly pictures. Of course wizarding pictures and photos move…. I see you gazing at the moving, smiling Gilderoy Lockhart in the window there on the dust jacket."

"Wriggling photos of nudes? Now that I gotta see!" said Lee.

"I'll take you down Obscura Alley another time… or sometimes there's a street hawker sells them just by Knockturn Alley. Yes, you're in luck. Playwizard? Cheers" David paid over the few sickles and handed the magazine to Lee who gawped at it in amazement.

"I'd better not let mum see that" he grinned, rolling it up to stuff in a back jeans pocket "Will they still move out of this magic place?"

"Oh yes!" said David, amazed at Lee's ignorance, then ashamed of his own amazement "The pictures are inherently magical. A lot of muggles don't notice them move because they don't want to I think; but once they know the wizarding world exists, like it or not, they can see I think…. Only most muggles, knowing about it or not, can't see house elves; and see goblins just as short faintly foreign looking humans. I'm studying disillusion and confundment magic this year and next as part of my Transfiguration NEWT – that's our equivalent to 'A' levels, most people who stay on for NEWTs, which isn't everyone, takes three or four so it's about the same level I guess."

"How many are you taking?"

David gave a rueful grin.

"Six" he said "The top flight people make it to seven; five or more is reckoned well good though. Only I couldn't choose between what I wanted to study further, and I had the marks to go on, and some of the subjects I find easy anyway so…."

"In other words you're a high flyer who actually manages to have a life too?"

"I suppose so" said David. "I love magic; it – this sounds corny, but it really changed my life."

"Well I want to learn more; it's too late for me to transfer schools I guess and take any whaddya call 'em newts?"

"It's an acronym; it stands for Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, which kind of tells it like it is; as OWLs are Ordinary Wizarding Levels. Top grade is 'O' – outstanding; then 'E', exceeds expectations; then 'A' acceptable. Those are pass levels. Fails come as 'P' poor, 'D' dreadful and 'T' troll; because trolls are NOT renowned for being bright. I took ten OWLs and got five 'O' grades; transfiguration is my poorest subject that I'm taking to NEWT because I only got an 'E'; I have trouble with the theory."

"Transfiguration – changing – isn't that kinda what being an animagus is about?"

"Well yeah, and I can do the practicals without working up a sweat it's just….hell, you don't have to do the exam, you just enjoy doing what you can with your wand. We muggle born just don't always get the theory first time around because the way we have of looking at things is different. We run on science not instinct. Here's Ollivander's; let's get your wand."

"Been around a long time" said Lee, looking at the sign declaring proudly that Ollivander's had been suppliers of wands since 382 BC.

"And nearly stopped dead when he got kidnapped" said David grimly. "Ah, morning Mr Ollivander"

"Mr Fraser! Oak, quite firm, nine inches, Gryphon's heartstring core. I never forget a wand. Never got much chance to talk to you when you were in with that young boy and Mr Dell."

"Willow Prince said mine should be oak, with a runespoor spinal cord fourteen inches" said Lee.

Ollivander blinked.

"Willow Prince? Is that Miss Wilhelmina Prince?"

"The same" said David. "Always knows what wand anyone has."

"Dear me! Dear me! Yes I remember Miss Prince, came in bold as brass, demanded Willow, flexible, eight inches with a kneazle whisker core. She was right too. Suited her perfectly. Often wondered why Kneazle whisker; she seemed such a typical Slytherin."

"Oh she is; but she's a cat animagus" said David. "She's a good kid."

"Well well! Tell her, won't you, that there's a job waiting for her here if she wants one… I suppose she isn't studying enchantment at all?"

"Oh yes, Willow's serious about enchantment; reckons wands aren't just a science but an art" said David.

Mr Ollivander's eyes gleamed and he let out a loud sigh of satisfaction that sounded almost orgasmic.

"Ohhhh how wonderful… I could use an apprentice wand maker…. I'm not so young as I was and recent events have been so very trying…."

"Yes, Lucius did what he could, but he didn't dare jeopardise the chance to totally obliteeriate Voldemort and kill him nastily" said David lapsing into a Convolvumort voice.

Ollivander managed a wry smile.

"Who'd have thought Draco Malfoy would have been such a comedian…. I wonder if he has changed wands?"

"He has…. He took Voldemort's, the brother of Harry's; it was somehow appropriate" said David.

Ollivander nodded.

"I see you are appreciative of wands yourself Mr Fraser."

"Appreciative; but not knowledgeable Mr Ollivander" said David "I never studied enchantment past basics. I know enough to appreciate your art and Willow's raw talent and know that such is outside my league. Do you have a wand such as my friend needs?"

"Oh yes!" said Ollivander "There's a touch of divination in wand making, knowing ahead of time what's going to be called for… but I don't recall finding a wand for you before, young man, you've transferred from another school?"

"No, I'm what they call a late developer" said Lee.

"A – a muggle?" Ollivander was disconcerted.

"Let him try the wand and see what sort of muggle can make it perform" said David.

Ollivander reached up and brought down a box, most tenderly.

"I'd expect a descendent of Salazar Slytherin himself to use this" he said, looking dubiously at Lee.

"He's the Parselmouth, isn't he?" Said Lee "Well if it runs in families, I guess maybe I am."

Ollivander looked at him with renewed respect and a great deal of wariness.

"Try it; give it a shake" he said.

Lee did so; and sparks flew quite satisfactorily.

"Right" he said and got two bottles from his pocket, each with different coloured liquid in. He set them down some distance apart; lined up his wand on one and murmured the parseltongue words Abraxus had used to switch the drinks.

The bottles duly switched.

David was impressed.

"Most people have trouble with switching spells" he said "I'd stick to the parseltongue version if I were you and not bother to learn the proper incantations! I reckon you have an eidetic memory – you remembered about the wand too, and it's not the usual sort of thing to have to recall."

"I do have an eidetic memory" shrugged Lee "I don't even know what a runespoor is."

"It's a three headed snake" said David "And I'll fill you in more on that too another time. That's an excellent wand, Mr Ollivander; he'll have it."

Lee was bubbling with joy to have a wand and kept making stones dance all the way down the alley until David told him firmly to stop making an ass of himself like any ten year old and practise at home.

"You are over seventeen after all" he said "So they can't do you for underage wand use out of school. You'll do someone a mischief with that accidentally if you don't put it away; and then there'll be hell to pay because you're an adult in this world and sueable!"

Lee was startled and pulled a rueful face.

"Sorry" he said "It's so exciting!"

"I know; and I'll show you how to use it properly this evening at my guardian's place" David promised.

Lee was enjoying himself in a whole new world. And the chance to find out about quidditch – which sounded fascinating – would come soon too!

David was excited too; he was to sit a written exam and then to referee a match between two 'B' teams; the Chuddleigh Cannons, whose 'B' team, sometimes called the youth team as the players were generally less experienced, coached by Ron Weasley; and the Harwitches, an all female team from Harwich.

Lee hung about watching the warm ups as David toiled over his written work; a red haired young man approached him.

"Hi, I don't remember you from Hogwarts, you a friend of Fraser?"

"Yes, I'm sort of a muggle from the school in Devon there were some mix ups with….only I can use a wand and I'm a Parselmouth."

The young man gave a huge and friendly grin.

"Yeah? I'm Ron Weasley…. I only left school a couple of years back; I hope David passes, he's mad on quidditch but like me not quite professional class…. Want a go on a broom?"

"Please!" said Lee.

Lee was a natural sportsman and was soon throwing quaffles.

"You're not bad" said Ron, critically "Fancy doing some try-outs when you leave school? You might make the 'B' team you know…. Or there's always ref's exams."

"I don't know" said Lee. "David offered me a job in the new school, Rowan House; I think I'd like a broom though."

"Well look" said Ron "If you might think of taking up a trial, I can loan you a team broom; that way if you feel you're getting good, I'll take you down Diagon Alley to buy your own….uh, what's your finances like?" he added "I don't mean to be rude, but with schoolfees, having a decent broom was always a bit….difficult for me, I'm sixth in the family you see."

"I'm an only and my parents are doing pretty well" said Lee "And I've had a holiday job for years; I can spend a fair amount. I was saving for a car."

"Cor, can you drive?" said Ron enviously.

"I've had lessons, yes; I haven't taken my test yet, but that's at the end of the month" said Lee.

"Will you teach me? If I teach you some broom handling tricks?"

"Sounds a fair exchange" said Lee.

David came out at that moment, looking relieved.

"How'd it go, David mate?" said Ron.

"It FELT easy… so either I passed well or I blew it thoroughly" said David. Ron grinned.

"Reckon you passed then mate. Lee an' me, we're going to swap skills, he's going to teach me to drive properly."

"An EXCELLENT idea" said David fervently, having driven with Arthur Weasley on his forged driving licence, and unable to forget that his parents died because of the carelessness of a drunk driver. Crazy wizards were hardly any better than drunkards though at least they tended to avoid crashing by levitating the car out of trouble and worrying about confunding the muggles involved later.

Lee enjoyed watching the match; and David enjoyed refereeing it. One of the Harwitches team did try to make something of him knowing the opposing team coach when he booked her; but David said sternly that it would not matter who he knew on either side, jinxing an opponent's robes to drop off was STILL against the rules.

The Harwitch muttered but made no more overt complaints.

Chuddleigh Cannons finally won by twenty points when their seeker caught the snitch; and almost got beaten up when he asked if it had brought the score high enough. As Ron said, what was the point of ending the game by catching the snitch if he didn't know if it was going to win, draw or lose the game?

"Merlin's unwashed underpants, you dreamy git!" he shouted "Try to concentrate on the score more than on scoring! I know you're more interested in the vital statistics of your opposite number than the statistics of the game but could you keep your mind just faintly on the fall of the game quaffles more than the wobble of HER quaffles?"

The seeker subsided, hurt; and the Harwitches started to have a go at Ron.

"Don't even start!" said Ron "I didn't ask you to use your assets against my seeker; there's no rule against it but it's still unethical and you can't complain about me mentioning it!"

"Ladies – gentlemen" said David "The game is over and technically my job is done but may I say the Harwich Seeker WAS rather displaying her lack of foundation garments to the young idiot on the Chuddleigh team. There's right and wrong on both sides, let's not get involved in the sort of childish mudslinging I have to counter between first year Ravenclaws and Slytherin. Ron, madam, shake hands and put this behind you."

"And do you fancy going out for a drink?" said the Chuddleigh seeker hopefully to the buxom witch from Harwich.

Ron whacked him across the back of the head before the witch could slap him.

Ron went for a drink with Lee and David while David waited for the examiners' deliberations; another game was in progress with another hopeful referee.

"Nice turn of phrase to your seeker by the way" said David "Sounded almost worthy of Severus."

"Who d'you think I learned from, mate?" said Ron "Every time they piss me off, I think of the sort of things he used to say to me when I did things to cauldrons. Works a treat!"

David was duly summoned back in before the board of examiners, leaders of the Quidditch Association of Britain.

"Congratulations, Mr Fraser" said the head of the board "You may consider yourself a referee national class, and hold yourself in readiness to be called up to referee any game in Britain. You have your Apparating licence I believe to reach any game?"

"Yes sir I do" said David "May I refuse if a match falls on the same day as either my exams or the Triwizard?"

"Oh certainly, certainly; you'll be let know what matches you've been drawn for ahead of time, several months in advance, and be given a list of other referees to arrange to exchange with, so long as you let the Quidditch authorities know that there's to be an exchange. You shouldn't have to referee more than about three games a season; and you will be paid per game."

"I get paid?" said David "I thought it was an amateur occupation."

"Oh dear no begorra, we pay our referees for their skills" It was Murphy the Sports Minister who spoke up "It won't keep ye, but there's the opportunity for private deals wit' clubs who want a ref to cover 'A' and 'B' team matches with impartiality, and informal matches between scratch village teams. Most referees have a day job too o' course but ye can scratch a living from it if ye make enough contacts."

"Well, that's very nice" said David "And I won't deny having more than out of pocket expenses paid will come in handy; though I was expecting to do it for love and the hope of having my robes replaced when I had them damaged by some of the more exciting things that can happen to referees."

Murphy laughed.

"Sure, and you don't have any illusions about yer own safety anyway!" he said "And begorra, someone like YOU ought to be treated with respect by the dimmest, toughest beater; just show'em the scar and scowl. Now! Ye must serve for t'ree years refereeing national teams before it is ye can go for yer International Refereein' exams; and also have a recommendation from yer national board. I can't really be seein', wit' yer excellent performance today, considering how inexperienced ye are, that we will be likely to make any difficulty recommending ye. The diffusion o' the situation afther the match was well handled and shows the sort of referee who goes above and beyond the call o' duty. An international referee IS expected to thry t' keep the peace afher the match and that goes forward as a point in yer favour."

David flushed.

"It seemed like a good idea, sir" he said "Trouble is easier to prevent than to stop; and I've had plenty of practice as a peacemaker in my time as a prefect."

"Sounds like a better prefect than some I knew then" growled another member of the board.

"Well, that's as maybe, Mr Fraser will be wanting to get along" said the head of the board. "Once more, congratulations and good luck too in the Triwizard, if we may be permitted to wish you so."

"Thank you sir; I appreciate it very much" said David "I have better than a thirty second start off so I hope to take advantage of that. I expect it'll be a maze designed by Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape so I expect it to be tortuous, fiendish and remarkably challenging. On the other hand I've written homework for Professor Snape before now and done exams set by him; so forewarned is forearmed."

"Yes, Severus always was a devious little git" said another of the board "Good seeker too; might have been great if he hadn't so often given in to frustration when Potter outflew him. That's James Potter of course. I was chaser for Hufflepuff at the time; we never stood a chance against the Gryff-Slyther rivalries. Getting out in one piece was a priority when either of those teams were playing. Glad Harry Potter plays a more gentlemanly game than his father. Didn't you fly on the scratch team against Bulgaria?"

"Yes sir; and it was the most wonderful experience of my life!" said David softly "Win or lose, it was always going to be unforgettable; that's a great team and the most tremendous good sports too. Gentlemen in the game. It makes all the difference."

"It does; and at least you've the realism to know that's not always the case. But we keep you; best of luck again, and try not to neglect your schoolwork either!"

"I shan't sir!" David was grinning in joy as he shook hands with all the examiners and walked out of the room clutching his certificate of National Level Refereeing.

Life was great!

_I couldn't resist introducing the Harwitches; Harwich is a town in the east of England_


	18. Chapter 18

_Hi All, you're getting 2 today and 2 tomorrow, not because I'm nice [I'm not] but because my system has been hacked and I want to come offline totally for a while and I don't like to do that until I've fulfilled my obligations in posting. Chapter 20 will be the last one of this story, but please don't stop sending me reviews; I'll catch up with them when I come back online though I may be brief to the point of terseness in my replies as emails so are going to back up. Wish me luck! I'm now going to run a full system check. I'm also taking a holiday so I'll be back in a few weeks. _**  
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**Chapter 18**

Heather Burns hated her school; two terms was quite enough for her to see that sooner or later she would end up a nervous wreck from avoiding the bullies, and that however hard she worked, the teaching was too poor for her to ever even shine with work. If she even avoided being beaten up for being a swot and being a prude because at eleven she did not want to kiss boys. She had already been called a lesbian, which she had thought was a fancy name for an actor until she looked it up in a dictionary. Secondary school was NOT like the school stories she loved. Of course, the girls in school stories like the Chalet School series had rich parents and were posh; the daughter of a factory assembly line worker and a scrub-woman were not likely to ever be able to send their daughter to a posh school.

But there was a very odd school – or at least some very odd children who assembled for – one assumed – a school train at Kings' Cross station, not far from the terrace house where she and her parents lived in council house land. The children – as she had noted now for two terms, since their school went back before hers – walked THROUGH a wall at the station. And those who were her own age, first years, had carried some very strange stuff, cauldrons and cages with owls in; and older children had brooms like the old fashioned twig brooms in museums only somehow looking quite high tech.

Armed with her copy of 'Carola Storms the Chalet School' and 'The Wrong Chalet School' to give her ideas, Heather had set about, for the January train, photographing the children with her dad's camera, paying for the developing from her pocket money; and then she was ready to go round jumble sales and charity shops to get clothes as close to those they wore as possible. Fortunately basic grey school uniform was not hard to find; the coloured ties – four different patterns – were harder, but she picked the colour that seemed best to her, and easiest, and managed to find a tie in green and silver stripes and embroidered a green band around her grey sweater with tapestry wool. Some of the children, she noted had academic style gowns like university students; some wore them, some had them draped over one arm, and she had no idea if they were general wear or only worn by class prefects or something. Accordingly she made her own from a slinky black sheet she picked up in the British Heart Foundation shop, murmuring something about 'acting cupboard' at the funny looks she was given, and packed it in her suitcase. Then it was there if she needed it. She had few illusions about being found out and sent home even before her own school term started; but at least she would have experienced the adventure and would have see HOW they got through a wall and why. It might be a hologram, and a school for spies; although the cauldrons and owls in cages hinted more of a school of magic. Which a big girl her age did not ought to believe in; but one could hope….of course, they might turn her into an owl so she couldn't tell, but even that would be an adventure in a way and had to be better than wondering when she was going to be so badly hurt by the bullies that she died, or never walked again or was blinded or – worst of all – brain damaged. So, daily, Heather lurked at the station waiting for the day the others went back, a letter to her parents in her hand to post so they would not worry for too long.

And the day came.

Heather posted her letter; and lurked.

She would wait until a few had gone through and try to go in with a large group, following behind a group of friends or a large family.

The big boy who waited and greeted all the others looked nice; she was sure he wouldn't turn her into a white rabbit or anything if he caught her. He had the red and yellow tie and she half wished she had chosen that; they seemed to be the ones, that and the green one, with the jolliest kids, and she had seen big boys who looked like twins who each had one of those two colours. They were loud and jostled with others, but somehow they weren't like the bullies even though they were so self confident and other kids seemed to do as they said. They arrived this time; and one of them had an arm around the waist of a girl his own age and was trying to kiss her all the way in while she, laughing, fended him off gently. She had one of the other ties, the pale yellow and black one that was too much like a faded wasp for Heather's tastes. Of course, these were probably school Houses, like the Houses in the stories about Primula Mary by Dorita Fairlie Bruce; and to choose a house by aesthetics was a bit silly, but it wasn't just that. This girl was merry enough but some of her housemates seemed a little…boring. Perhaps Heather would have fitted with those ones after all, as she was interested in academic work; but it would be nice to be with fun people.

The big boy – she could see now he had a badge saying 'Head Boy' – was greeting a grown up.

"Professor Dweemer – may I say how sorry I was to hear about your mother, sir, my deepest commiserations."

Professor Dweemer gave a sad smile.

"Thank you Mr Fraser; I appreciate that. I'm planning on throwing myself into work. My temporary replacement was all right?"

"Yes, Sir, Madam Jones isn't of your calibre but she held the fort admirably under the circumstances and she'll be teaching at the companion school from September."

"Good. Professor Dumbledore told me about her; I remember her twin very well. Araminta Jones was a most promising Enchantress, she will be much missed. Murdering swine!"

"Quite so sir" said the Head boy.

The Professor nodded and moved through the wall in a stately manner.

A promising enchantress! It WAS magic!

A rather strange looking woman was talking to the Head Boy now, all dressed in dangly scarves and things and dropping things from her capacious but overstuffed handbag.

"Oh David – it is David, isn't it? I don't suppose you recall me, I'm Jasper's mother, Jasper Crouch- Jones!"

"Ah yes, of course, Madam Crouch-Jones; what's he done now?"

"Oh dear, has he got the same reputation as his father and me? I suppose it's almost inevitable….well we were on our way and he tripped over his broom and he's in St Mungo's with several broken bones."

Heather could see the Head Boy stifling a smile.

"I suppose it was inevitable that JJ would do that one day….don't worry Madam Crouch-Jones, I'll let Professor McGonagall know he'll be a few days late….will you bring him or does he need an escort?"

"Oh he's old enough to send on the Knight Bus I should think; he's had one accident, he can't surely have any more. Anyway, I want to go and visit him, thank you so much!"

The Head Boy turned to a youth standing beside him and remarked,

"If she thinks JJ can avoid having any more accidents it's the triumph of hope over experience, young Dell. There's always one; normally it's a Weasley, but with a friendship like JJ and Colin Weasley, almost anything can happen. JJ's father almost killed Professor Snape when they were juniors together by leaving his cauldron on the step into the carriage."

The boy addressed as Dell grinned.

"I can see Severus Snape going flying and really finding a bag full of vocabulary to land on the unfortunate Crouch-Jones…. Was he as wordy back then, do you know?"

"I think he was born suckling from a dictionary" David Fraser laughed. "Just be aware, if you've decided to volunteer to take over from me as train monitor, almost anything that can go wrong, will. We've had the wrong kids on the train and your friend Mary-Anne Green got halfway to Devon before she realised she was on the wrong train…"

"And St Jodoc's is an all boys school too!" laughed Dell. "Her dad is planning to decorate the house when she's gone, so she's wondering what sort of carnage is going to greet her for the summer hols and how much she's going to have to rescue him from. He won't have a firm of goblins in to do it; insists on doing it without magic because he finds DIY relaxing."

"Some people do….but Mr Green loose with wallpaper and paste….the mind boggles" said Fraser "He's one of the nicest muggles I know but he's as scatty as they come."

Heather wondered what a muggle was.

They seemed to go by surname a lot; more like Jennings than the Chalet School, though she had heard individuals using personal names. Some of the personal names were a bit weird; but if they were witches and wizards they might have different famous wizards they called people after, like there were loads of people she'd come across called Paul after Paul Gascoigne. There was even one boy at school whose surname was Bond and whose parents thought it funny to call him James. He was a pig too; but at least with a name that was a joke he had some excuse.

A girl with mousey hair but beautiful skin and enormous blue eyes came up talking to a blonde lad.

"…and this is the last train journey to school I'm going to enjoy, Victor, because next year my awful cousin starts. The son of Gilderoy Lockhart no less – and doesn't everyone know it!"

"I thought your uncle was unmarried?"

"He had a girlfriend and she claims he planned to wed her before he lost his marbles trying to maim Harry and co with Ron's broken wand and she named her darling golden-curled angel Amadeo. Amadeo! I ask you, I thought I drew a short straw being called Precious, but at least it shortens to Pris, and that's cooler now I've seen 'Bladerunner'; I say, isn't Ruger Hauer GORGEOUS? I reckon you'll look rather like him when you grow up. Why Victor, you're blushing!"

And then they were through the wall.

"No Mary-Anne" Fraser was saying.

"She'll be rescuing her dad from an errant roll of wallpaper; she'll be fine" said Dell. "Oh here are half my crowd… Tuthills and Tamsin and Tim… hi people, I'm going to take over from Fraser when they kick him out of school at the end of next year so I thought I'd practice."

"You are a glutton for punishment, Lionel" laughed a tousled small boy. "Well we'll see you in there!"

Several other children were arriving; now was Heather's chance. She took a big breath and tagged on behind the group of chattering youngsters, as Fraser was distracted explaining to a ginger haired boy called Colin that his friend had a broken leg among other things.

There seemed to be no resistance at all by walking firmly at the wall; and then she was on a train platform with a big, puffing red steam engine and carriages full of children!

She was though; she had seen where they went; and now she was going to get on the train and maybe, just maybe she might even see magic performed!

Heather followed Mr Dell's friends because the two younger ones seemed about her age; they wore the gold and red ties, the other two had the yellow and black; Dell had the silver and green. Membership in a house did not seem to preclude friendships in other houses; and the theory that twins or siblings were split as a matter of course seemed incorrect because the two referred to as 'the Tuthills' seemed to be twins, and had the same ties and the ginger haired Weasleys all seemed to have the same tie.

And then there was a large boy with a green and silver tie giving her a nasty grin, just like the bullies at her own school.

"Well well, a new kid, eh? What's your name new kid? 'cos you can call me 'sir'."

And then he was clutching at his face howling with anguish, as – were they BATS? – were pouring out of his nose attacking his face.

"Take that you bully!" yelled the female Tuthill pointing still with a short stick at the boy "Hey, are you new? Don't heed Baddock, he's a creep; I'll show you how to do the bat-bogey curse later if you don't know it. Are you a Weasley? Most Gingers at Hogwarts are Weasleys, though I've never heard of one in Slytherin House, 'cos you can't count Lynx, she's half Black, and the Black family are traditionally Slytherin. I'm Freya."

"And I have to deduct ten points from Gryffindor for wand work in the corridors" said a tall girl coming up "Honestly Freya can't you duck out of sight or something when you've done bully baiting?"

"I was just trying to help the new girl feel at home, Willow" said Freya.

The dark haired girl regarded Heather thoughtfully, took in the white, peaked face glowing with excitement and not a little fear, her paleness throwing both her big brown eyes and her freckles into sharp relief under her mop of untidy ginger curls.

"Hmmmm" said Willow.

She wore the silver and grey tie too.

"Please, I'm very grateful to er, Tuthill" said Heather. "I- I'm Burns. Heather Burns."

"Well, Miss Burns, you've enough sensitivity for me to sense a wand type for you but I wager you can't show me your wand."

"Er…. I broke it" said Heather quickly, remembering someone called Ron who had a broken wand.

"Quick thinking; but no banana" said Willow. "You're a muggle, my child, and you've got here quite feloniously."

Heather fought not to cry and sniffed hard. She was to be sent home before she even got there. Then the carriage door opened and a small girl in an orange sundress and blue cardigan got in, half thrown by David Fraser who swung onto the train with Lionel Dell as it whistled loudly, whooshed steam and pulled away.

"Mary-Anne Green, where IS your uniform?" demanded Freya.

The child in the sundress grinned ruefully.

"Can you believe, dad forgot he was going to start decorating after I left and managed to drop a whole pot of yellow paint in my school kit?"

"Yes I can believe it; I've met your dad" said Freya.

"Lionel Dell" said Willow.

"I didn't do it, Prince. At least I don't think I did" said Dell.

"What, a guilty conscience this early in the term that you can't be sure?" laughed Willow. "This here child is an interloper; but she's a sensitive and I can see maple with occamy plume core lurking in her. Knowing how well you brought young Ross on I thought I'd dump her in your lap – metaphorically – and leave you finding out all about her for us and actually preparing her for school if we get to keep her."

"Oh please, Willow" said Heather "I won't be allowed to stay even – even if I am sensitive or whatever, because my parents won't be able to afford it. I – I just wanted to see where you all went, so there'd be some good and exciting memories so it wouldn't matter so much when I got beaten up 'cos I'd have seen things they couldn't even imagine."

"Who beats you up, kid?" asked Dell.

"Most people" said Heather drearily "I don't want to kiss boys, or put things on railway lines to make the engines brake or smash windows or daub grafitti or steal things so they say I'm a lesbian and a swotty dweeb and a creep and a cunt and – and I don't like it."

"I should jolly well think not" said Dell indignantly. "We can find a way to keep her, can't we, Prince, Fraser? There are discretionary scholarships and I think having the balls to come and find us DESERVES a scholarship. And – and if not, I'll write to my dad and see if he can help out."

"Our parents can't with several of us, but we'd like to help her stay" said Ross Tuthill, who had followed his sister out. "She's really really game!"

"Oh if she's hatted, we'll find a scholarship from somewhere" said David "There's money in the kitty for exceptional cases…. You see a wand, Willow?"

"Oh yes…. And it's not exactly hard" said Willow "And I'm wondering if there's anything blocked her like it blocked Krait."

"Do you belong to any fairly extreme church or anything?" asked David. Heather shook her head. "I don't even think there are any churches near us" she said.

"Curious" said David "Maybe she lives in a neighbourhood that's magic dead from deatheater action or something; well, we can investigate that another time. Your parents, young Burns; do they have any idea that you're gallivanting off to Scotland?"

"We're going to Scotland? I didn't know. I – I wrote them a letter; it'll get there tomorrow, I put a first class stamp on it, to say I was running away to school with some kids who looked nicer than the ones from the estate and I expected I'd get returned soon when the school authorities found out."

"Sounds more like a Gryffindor than a Slytherin" said David "Honest to a fault."

"No, ambition like that, cleverness in working out the uniform and how to come through, definitely a Slytherin" said Willow.

"Gryffindor – we saw her first!" said Ross and Freya in unison.

"Poor kid hasn't a clue what you're all talking about" said Dell.

"Yes I have" said Heather "You have four houses and those are two of them, the ones with most of the most interesting people in. The yellow and black ones seem a little stuffy, some of them, and the indigo and yacky brown are stuck up."

"Well she really HAS worked it out" grinned Dell "That's a Slytherin's Slytherin for you; brains and sheer gall. We have the most bullies but the best juniors at fighting back" he added.

"Yeah, Baddock had started on her" said Freya "Ross and I came out to hex him but he's such a dirty boy his nose was full of snot and I got EIGHT bat bogeys out of him."

"EYYEW!" said Willow "You'd think he'd at least blow his nose when he knows cousin Jade is on the train and more than adept at the bat-bogey hex! Here, young Burns, there's a school wand that's maple with boomslang skin core which'll do you pro tem; it should be good for transfigurations. You'll need a school cauldron, Dell, can you see about that?"

"Sure thing, Prince" said Dell cheerfully. "I've got some spare scales too, and I know where there's a spare knife too, Baddock lost it, kinda."

"He threw it at Garjala" said Freya "And it stuck in the wall higher than he could reach and he's too limited to use a hovering charm to reach it down."

"Too high?" demanded David "Well he must – thank goodness – be a really bad shot, Baddock's tall and Garjala – well she's tall for a goblin but….."

"Oh she used _protego_ and deflected it" said Freya "And it narrowly missed Peeves, so he's been after Baddock. What with that and the half dozen swooping cursers Garjala enchanted to follow Baddock around giving him the worst bad language she could come up with, he's not in a good mood. It's why he looked to start the new term by picking on some new kid he could make feel vulnerable so he felt bigger. Snotty little creep."

"And with the evidence of your hex, that even seems to be accurate!" laughed Willow. "I'll withdraw the ten points I was going to take; it's your bounden duty to protect a muggle, and she IS still a muggle really because she hasn't even had the preparation Ross had listening to what Freya was told….you group of reprobates, take her away and fill her in on stuff and then we'll see what the Hat says. I'm going to irritate Baddock a little bit."

"I'M going to contact professor Dumbledore and ask him to warn the Burns child's parents that she's in Scotland" said David. "And then when I get to school I'm going to plot all the muggle born we've ever had from London and see whether the area she comes from shows up as a blank."

Lionel Dell and friends had really taken Heather to their hearts; and she soon met the others of their group, except, as they said, Alice, who lived ten minutes broom flight from the castle so it was hardly worth her while coming to London just for the school train except for the new year when she had to go down for new textbooks.

"You don't have school textbooks then?" asked Heather.

"No, 'cos sometimes Professors set different books – during the curse years when they had a different Defence against the Dark Arts teacher every year every Professor had their own pet book, it's only since Professors Black, Snape and Lupin agreed on the same one when they alternated that it's been standard" said Dell. "Besides, it's your book then and if you make notes in it that's up to you and the mad librarian's gone so you won't even get screeched at for defacing your own property. Madam Ermin is MUCH better, and she lets you use scrap paper and masking tape in your own books to append notes and reminds you to write on the table not leaning on a page if you're taking notes out of a school book rather than throwing a hissy fit and accusing you of having caused everything from the Goblin wars to Dragon Pox. Madam Pince was the limit! Professor Snape is well tough but he's not a frothing loony!"

David meanwhile heard all about Pris Lockhart's repellent cousin, who rejoiced under the name of Amadeo Hero Lockhart.

"And I will not call Neillia Emerson Aunt Neillia, for she's no such thing; and HE ought to be Amadeo Emerson, not Lockhart at all, making me look a fool with his golden curls and cultivated smile, spoilt rotten!" said Pris "I don't believe for one moment that Uncle Gilderoy DID intend to marry her; he thought he was too sexy for a wedding ring, him!"

"But just think, he'll be in the same year as Lydia Snape" soothed David "Who won't take any shit from any spoilt brat… any idea what house he expects to be in?"

"Well Uncle Gilderoy and this Neillia were both Ravenclaw" said Pris.

"There you are then! Just warn Mei Chang and co to keep him well squashed if he's a brat!" said David.

"Fraser, you are a ruddy genius" said Pris "And that's one reason you're head boy!"

"If only all problems were so easy!" grinned David. "Pris, he won't make you look a fool; your friends know what you're like and know you can't help your relatives."

"We stand beside you" said Victor "Though, alas, I must leave school after my OWLs; my mother thinks it is time I learn to be a ruler and spend time in Belsornia; in fact I may have to go back these holidays so I will break my promise to stand by you!"

"You won't either; because you'll stand by me in spirit" said Pris. "Back home so soon? Oh Victor, that's awful, I shall miss you, I'd rather have a thousand awful cousins then be missing you!"

"Alas, it is what my father hints" said Victor "You will stay with me of course?"

Pris nodded fervently.

Somehow David suspected that one day she would be joining Kronprinz Victor Eberhardt und whatever it was permananetly!

At school, Hagrid had the message for David that Miss Burns' parents had been informed that she had been found on the Hogwarts school train, and as she seemed a bright child was being given the chance to try for a scholarship.

"Dumbledore talked very fast at 'em and said how enterprising she was and how we value enterprise, originality and careful planning here – which o' course we do" said Hagrid "But if the kid's a muggle how's she going to get on, however resourceful she is?"

"She's not really a muggle; Willow can see what wand she should have" said David "I've a theory there's something that's out there blocking magical emanations from the book the way the orphanage did. I don't know what; a magic-leaching charm, perhaps, set up to block the muggle born from being discovered, that we never found out about" he went on "I want to do some geomantic – and geographic – studies. We dumped her on Dell and co; they're a decent bunch."

"Little horrors, they involved me in capturing German agents!" said Hagrid, good naturedly. "Small limbs! And likely to lead my Mischa astray too!"

"He's settled in well?"

"Ar, he's happy as a pig in mud" said Hagrid. "He's been knocking around with your Romanian orphans; better than getting into trouble with Lionel Dell and his horrors! Not that Alice Trumball is a horror; but if Harry and co didn't drive me half barmy with the trouble they got into, this lot will! German agents indeed, what are they after?"

"The kid who ran away from them" said David "And I don't know where she is nor do I want to; but I guess if they ask you to help smuggle her anyplace – they being the marauders – I know you'll help."

"Ruddy Durmstrangers" said Hagrid. "Tom Riddle ought to have gone there; more his type. And, all bein' nasty types, he'd not of been so likely ter make them foller him account o' bein' only one schemin' little turd among many."

It had a certain simplistic charm, the concept that Tom Riddle's megalomania might be repressed by being merely a normal expression of ambition amongst his peers.

Somehow, David was glad he had NOT gone to Durmstrang; he might have been even worse.

Heather was nervous of being sent to the Sorting Hat; David Fraser had told her sternly to take her tie off as she might not be Slytherin after all; and she stumbled up to the stool, in front of all the school, wondering if she wanted to be Slytherin or not, or Gryffindor, or whether she would even be given the chance to stay at all, whether this dreadful looking magical hat would even accept her.

The hat was set on her head.

"_**Well well, rather confused here, aren't you?"**_ said the hat.

"_**Please, I could hardly be not, could I?"**_ she countered _**"I'm not sure what I want even if that counts. After all, Tim and Tamsin are nice too and they're in Huff – whatever it was, and I'm a swot too. All I know is I don't want to be a Ravenclaw 'cos the others despise them as snooty."**_

The hat cogitated.

"_**You would do equally well I think in Slytherin or Gryffindor; but I think I will choose for you for my own reasons of improving the house stock….it is something that has started but your honour will add well to**_ Slytherin" it added aloud.

The Slytherin cheered – except Baddock and his crony Pritchard – and Dell grinned.

"Jade'll see her all right" said Lionel to Melody Bloom.

"Yeah, Jade's cool" said Melody "And she looks after my kid sister just fine."

Heather found it all rather overwhelming; even without being taken in hand by a rather overwhelming little person like Jade. She found herself in a dormitory with girls named Aurelia and Harmony as well as Jade and told she might ignore a girl called Dympna, which made her look at Dympna in interest to find out why.

Dympna sneered.

"Oh I have NO intention of talking to the mudblood, Snape; I can't think WHY Dumbldore lets in such riff-raff, not just a mudblood but LOOK at her clothes – a positive scarecrow, she's a pauper too!"

"See?" said Jade to Heather "I've stopped even bothering to jinx her for making ill-bred and ill-natured bloodsnob comments, it's a bore and not worth my time. Why should I waste my golden and undoubted talents on an inbred moron who can't even appreciate them?" absently she flicked away the stinging hex Dympna tried to curse her with and flipped a hand to send the other girl's wand flying. It went out of the window into the dry moat that their bedrooms overlooked. "Oh dear, what a shame; you'll have to go look for it tomorrow, Burke; it'll give you time to recall what happens when you try bullying in case you have a go at young Heather here."

Dympna Burke smouldered.

Jade had informed her what she thought of her treatment of the child Cressida Blunt in Obscura Alley; and had twisted a switching spell – that a child Jade's age should not even be able to cast yet – so that in every text and exercise book Dympna owned her surname was suddenly spelt 'berk' complete to un-capitalised first letter. Dympna had been unable to reverse it; trying to go over it in ink to make it 'Burke' just changed back and even a curse-breaker paid by her father had been unable to break it!

Jade had written 'berk' three hundred times in her own blood and used that to switch with, her own will power keeping the enchantment against a curse breaker; because essentially it was a living, ongoing curse and Jade's will was opposed to the curse breaker's.

Jade was very stubborn indeed.

And she loathed those who abused and mistreated those who were not as well off as themselves. It had also been a close relative of Dympna's – her grandfather – who had bought Slytherin's locket from poor Merope Gaunt and had so drastically underpaid her for it when she was desperate enough to sell it. Jade disliked the family intensely on general principles; and so far Dympna had done nothing but reinforce that opinion.

Heather saw what Jade meant.

She knew she was not well off; but she also knew from her school reading that this need not preclude her from being well-bred if she copied the right people.

And Jade seemed much more like the right type of people than Dympna; especially as Lionel had introduced her to Jade!

But what was best was that she was allowed to stay, to learn to be a witch; and best of all NEVER to go back to the secondary modern where she had been so miserable!

Heather fell asleep at once and slept like a log; her only sudden worry on waking that as it had been so wonderful that it must be a dream that she would wake out of!

"Jade" she said next morning, waking to find the other girl up "Do something that'll hurt me."

"Why?" asked Jade "And do you want to join the morning run? 'cos if so you'd better leap up sharpish, we wash after."

Heather leaped out of bed.

"'Cos I'm afraid I'm dreaming" she said.

Jade poked her hard.

"Still think you're dreaming?"

"I don't think so…. I thought you'd er, hex me."

"I save that for duels and rotters" said Jade "Hang on though, if you want me to…_levicorpus._"

Heather was hoisted in the air by one ankle.

"_Liberacorpus_" said Jade; and she dropped.

"Okay; I couldn't dream that" said Heather with intense satisfaction.

"Well I don't think I'm a figment of your imagination" said Jade "But that leads to some obscure philosophical discussion over whether I'd believe I was real if I really was only a figment of your imagination; and whether what I know of my history that you don't yet is only because you're waiting to imagine me telling you."

"Shut up Jade" said Aurelia "We can't cope with that much crap at this time of the morning. Never mind her flights of fancy, Heather; she's sometimes so sharp she comes close to cutting herself."

Jade laughed and draped an arm around Aurelia's shoulders.

"Your turn to get at me now, Harmony" she said to her other friend.

"When I'm not awake? Not likely" said Harmony "I never win a contest of words with you when I'm awake Jade."

And, bickering gently they took Heather to meet the MSHG.


	19. Chapter 19

_Warning a lot of very bad language mostly from some disommoded bullies_**  
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**Chapter 19**

While Heather was settling in and her parents having the realities of magical Britain broken to them, Baddock and Pritchard were looking for someone to get back at for a variety of tribulations – one solitary swooping curser had still retained enough magical energy to gleefully seek Baddock out after the holidays and was calling him a sweaty- arsed toerag and a pimply result of the union of a troll and a she-dire – and he was not happy. That he had also been in trouble for failing to finish a holiday assignment from Professor Snape set as punishment for repeatedly careless work and then having been bested by a weevil on the train had him furious with the whole world. Severus was particularly sarcastic at this time, because Grace was really extremely ill with her pregnancy and even stabilised by the bloodgroup there was some risk that the birth might kill her because of the way the placenta had implanted. Severus had been brewing blood replenishing potions to leave for Draco in case of any delay getting to her. This also led both David Fraser to give short shrift to evil doers; and Erich Snape, who was very close to his sister, to give short shrift to everyone except little Tala Ulwin whom he saw as his especial charge, and in need of the same gentle care Grace had been in need of at first.

It was the excuse Baddock and Pritchard needed; Erich was rude, it was because he was German, and nobody liked the crowd from Durmstrang. He wasn't as hard as people like David, they reasoned, because he did not belong to the duelling club.

Erich did not belong to the duelling club as a matter of personal ethics; he took war very seriously and though he accepted that demonstrations were a valid way of avoiding war he did not see why he should display his own skills for the amusement of others. He duelled in the MSHG where, if Baddock and Pritchard had but known it, he was considered a very solid man to have at your back.

They did not know, however; and consequently set upon Erich for a bit of feeling relieving sport, convinced that two could handle him easily.

Erich was not in a mood to play games.

He did however go to David to report himself for having reacted out of keeping with the dignity of a prefect to the pair.

"What did you do?" asked David.

"I apparated Baddock most of the way through a wall – his feet are kicking feebly in the corridor and his head's in a store room – and I used levicorpus on Pritchard and transfigured his clothing into a frilly pink ball gown and frillier pink knickers underneath" reported Erich. "And I have not released them because sorry I am not and so I place myself on report to you."

"Oh well, I don't suppose they'll come to any permanent harm" said David. "No dogs here to come and piss on 'em so no dogs'll be harmed. I can't punish a prefect even if I thought you deserved it; which I don't think you do. They picked on you; I consider you within your rights to retaliate. Some Professor or other will release them sooner or later. And a lot of juniors will get a good giggle in the meantime. I think I have to see this actually."

David gazed on the feebly kicking feet and the bizarre sight of Pritchard in the sort of gown Pansy Parkinson had been wont to wear; and listened with a raised eyebrow to the abuse Pritchard screamed. It quite drowned out the swooping curser cooing its insults to Baddock's unresponsive feet.

"Well, I had thought about helping you out had you been polite about it, Pritchard, but as you can't string a sentence together without swearing at me, I think I'll leave you there" said David. "Still, be tranquil; here's Colin Creevey with his camera to immortalise you for the school magazine. Didn't you already grace that with your disgraceful wriggling at Yule too?"

Dennis Creevey was happily snapping, having taken over from his older brother as semi official school photographer.

"Smile. Pritchard….Larvely!" he said.

The two furious Slytherin sixth formers were finally rescued by the staff; and it took Professors McGonagall, Vector and Dweemer their combined efforts to figure out how release Baddock from a most non-standard curse. McGonagall had intended to ask him how he got there, but when Baddock, unable to see in the dark storeroom who was speaking to him, gave her a blast of his foul mouth, Minerva said she really did not feel much like trying to release him either. Pritchard, freed from his dangled position but not from his princess gown, and subdued in the presence of so many Professors did not feel much like talking; and it took the arrival of Severus to acquire from the boy the information that they had been bested by Erich and that they had started it.

Erich, summoned, volunteered that he had apparated Baddock to get him in this position and had yes, Madam McGonagall, worked hard to position him so nothing vital had been squeezed though perhaps less harm might have been caused if he had stuck Baddock's head in the wall as there was nothing in there to damage at all.

This blatant piece of rudery left McGonagall no choice but to give the boy a detention – almost unheard of for a sixth former – which she would decide later.

"What, when you've finished laughing, Minerva?" Severus murmured in her ear.

"Stay oot o' this, Severus" said Minerva "Yer son is a bad boy."

"If you really want him out, I can get him out again" said Erich "Are you sure he's not less trouble this way?"

"It's a case of splinching – sort of" said Madam Vector. "Dear me, Erich, you worked out how to do this so precisely? And IN Hogwarts? A most impressive piece of calculation, there's not a part of him missing."

"I could fix that if you like, Madam Vector" suggested Erich politely. Minerva cleared her throat loudly and with meaning.

"Somehow I don't think that's a good idea, Erich. If you can get him out in one piece, dear, I think you ought to do so" said Vector.

Erich snapped his fingers and Baddock appeared in full, still swearing, and suspended by the ankle.

"Oops, sorry" said Erich, gesturing to release him; and the boy dropped to the hard stone floor with a crash.

Minerva winced.

It did silence him long enough however to realise as he got his breath back into his body that he had been calling his Housemaster, the Gryffindor Housemistress and two other Professors a bunch of fucking cunts and unmitigated fuckwits who should all be buggered by Hagrid and Grawp.

He was suddenly very, very quiet.

He started frothing at the mouth as Madam McGonagal gestured with her wand and summoned a large cake of soap into it.

"Most appropriate, Minerva, excellent" said Professor Dweemer, who was rather shaken by such language.

"Erich Snape" said Minerva "WHY did you splinch Baddock?"

"He and Pritchard jumped me and made certain insinuations about my father and some of my siblings" said Erich. "and also told me to go back to Durmstrang where they said I belong. They were casting curses also. I already most distraught was feeling because Grace is so very ill; and my temper I lost. To be causing you professors trouble am I sorry most truly but not for splinching Baddock and making Pritchard silly. Sillier I should say, my lack of precision please excuse."

"Your grammar is slipping; ye can dae better than that" said Minerva "Wee Gracie ill? It's the babe is it?"

"The placenta's over a blood clot of some sort and she could die birthing" said Severus. "It makes us all snippy."

"Weel, Erich, if this is snippy I wouldnae really like tae be on yer bad side" said Minerva thoughtfully.

"They called THEM deatheaters" said Erich thoughtfully "And Odessa types."

"Ye'll wrrrite me a twenty inch essay on the dangers of splinching and on how Hogwarts is supposed tae be a non apparatin' zone" said Minerva "And how ye got around that." She looked at Baddock and Pritchard. "Severus, I think as it was your son they were trying to torment I should take their discipline out of your hands."

"I leave them entirely to you, Minerva" said Severus "Since I'm inclined to concur with Erich's estimation that head down in the castle walls makes them much more palatable to look upon."

"Weel" said Minerva "Since I have nae doot that Mr Pritchard is as conversant wi' the awfu' words Mr Baddock wis usin' it seems tae me that they should research the background of a' those words and wrrite me a fu' defineetion; and then write me each a twenty inch essay on the richness of the English language and how many ways there are of declaring dissatisfaction wi'oot resortin' tae scatological and prrrocrreative words. It'll nae be as guid as the one Krait wrote though" she said sadly. "We hired that out round the staffroom at two sickles a go for the indigent student fund."

"I remember that!" said Professor Dweemer "Have you still got it? I'd pay to read that again…funniest thing I ever read. All the ways you can insult someone without resorting to crudity. Loved it. They won't come close, these two; no imagination."

"I'll ask Albus to look it out for you Percival" said Minerva. "Weel I suggest the twa of ye get on and start; it's going tae take ye a while tae do a' that research."

"But Madam McGonagall, we're the injured parties!" whined Baddock.

"IS that so? I've set Mr Snape punishment fer overreacting; but ye'll no' get ony sympathy frae me if ye will jump people in passages, and twa on one too" said McGonagall coldly "Ye should ask tae duel one on one like gentlemen syne ye've a grievance; or put taegither yer own army o' deatheaters, fer it's what ye'd need tae tak' doon a boy like Erich Snape who kens a thing or twa because he doesnae waste his time in class like ye pair o' babboons, now get out o' mah sight; ye disgust me!"

From the way Minerva eyed them, Baddock and Pritchard fled before the Transfigurations mistress made them into a pair of baboons in actuality.

Minerva disapproved of transfigurations as punishment; though she had come to accept the use of the woodlouse form purely for racist comments that Krait had started.

Erich's essay for Minerva was scholarly and well researched with much arithmantic reference and his explanation of how he achieved apparation within Hogwarts included a brief explanation of carrying house elf blood – in written form it was left unclear and might have been read as having a house elf ancestor – and therefore apparating through a different dimension requiring an extra integral calculus term to be introduced. This he got from Krait, who actually understood how it worked and who could reduce even Madam Vector to incredulous horror as her eyes started to glaze over. Krait had worked it out initially to see if she could make Hermione's eyes glaze in a period when Hermione was being insufferably smug over having all her seven NEWTs at 'O' grade when Krait had two at 'E'.

Hermione had been duly humbled and had not gloated again.

She also worked hard until she DID understand Krait's arithmancy.

They were working intermitently together to apply the calculations to the travel methods of the fey and their 'fadeplace' in case understanding it became important; and as a sideline to see if the fey connection had any connection to the deep impulse towards self punishment of house elves.

Only Severus, David and Fenella Fenwick had any idea about anything they were talking about and Erich only understood enough to write enough to profoundly disturb Minerva who was a fine practical arithmancer but no theoretician.

"Well she did ask" said Erich after he had handed it in.

By contrast, Baddock and Pritchard's contribution was poorly constructed, scarcely legible and came so far short of being in any respect scholarly that Madam McGonagall was moved to call Baddock's a work of illiterature and Pritchard's as sheer balderdash. Severus described each essay as twenty inches of offences against the English Language.

The pair were to suffer the further indignity of Jade finding out that they had tried to pick on her big brother; whereupon she cast on both with considerable stealth her own version of the fluorescent fart jinx that provided any effluent with the colours of puke green and violent violet. The clouds of methane then coalesced into insubstantial homunculi that pointed and went into paroxysms of silent laughter.

Baddock and Pritchard were being watched; and they knew it.

And they were most carefully watched as the foreign students turned up for the final test of the Triwizard to make sure they did not let Hogwarts down.

oOoOo

David was into the maze first, after exchanging a wink with Karl to let him know all was well. Karl looked a little worn; no doubt it had been trying being watched all the time, and having to keep acting worried.

David had no doubts that having the chance to defect would do wonders for the boy.

The maze was filled with feelings of doubt and uncertainty; and David frowned irritably. That was something introduced. Pogrebin no doubt; Dumbledore would never permit the use of dementors. He looked for small stones, the way these small Russian fey liked to hide. To laugh them to death seemed a little excessive.

"You types need cheering up" said David, casting the tickling charm.

It certainly distracted them from emanating feelings of hopelessness; they were too busy hating being made to squirm and giggle.

The little black thing that sprang at him from behind a hedge was something else entirely. And David could not for a moment think what it might be.

And then he realised.

It was a boggart.

There were no more fears deep enough for its powers to work; fear ceased to have any meaning once you had faced fear beyond fear.

"Oh bugger off" said David, irritably, walking forward ignoring it. What was the point of bothering with a ridikulus charm on something already ridiculous after all.

The boggart took a frightened look at him, and squealed and fled in terror; and David, with a flash of legilimensy realised that what it feared most was for someone to realise how small and helpless it was.

"So it's not really a dark creature; in a way it's an aggressive defence mechanism" he said "How fascinating! Now which way you devious bastard, Severus?" as he came to a split of the ways. He used geomancy, walking back and forth to pick up the way of most power; and made his choice. If he was wrong this would waste a lot of time.

He came to a shallow lake; it looked shallow enough to wade. Two monkey like, yet scaly creatures lurked in it.

Kappa, thought David, recognising them, what do I know about Kappa? Japanese water demons, have hollows in top of head to keep water in…they cannot function without that.

"_levicorpus_" David hoisted the two water demons up by the ankle and they shrieked and seemed to be begging as the water drained out of the hollow on the top of their head. He crossed the lake and turned to release them. They ducked under hastily to refill their heads.

David heard Karl's voice screaming

"Nein, nein, do not hurt Uschi!" and shouted as loud as he could,

"KARL! BOGGART!"

There was a moment's brief surprise then

"RIDIKULUS!" shouted Karl, adding after a moment "THANK YOU!"

There were more pogrebin – whom David duly tickled – and then he knew he reached the centre. The manticore was a bit of a giveaway. David looked on this lion-bodied, human-headed, scorpion-tailed monstrosity with some loathing. Manticores were resistant to magic and killing one was reckoned to be fairly close to impossible. Only Hagrid had ever been known to handle Manitcores when he illegally bred his blast-ended skrewts from manticores and fire crabs.

"Gee, thanks, Severus" said David with heavy irony. The thing was trying to get at him but he had a while to think as it seemed to be contained in a magical circle that doubtless he could – and had to – cross. So far as he could see, he had two choices; transform into something meaner than a manticore like a dragon or a basilisk; or kill it without using magical means.

David had no compunction over killing a manticore; they were nasty critters. He wondered if this was Dumbledore's way of getting rid of a pet of Hagrid's he had uncovered.

David sighed.

He didn't want to give the Germans more views of his transformational skills. He pointed his wand above the manticore.

"_Accio Dolmen"_ he said.

The sky howled with the sound of several tons of falling granite; and the manticore looked up.

Too late.

"Well it worked for Ron against a troll using the levitation spell on a club" David muttered to himself. "Hmm, have I just shot myself in the foot? There's a stone partially under my rock…." He touched it.

The wrench of movement told him he was travelling by portkey.

He had time to hope he was supposed to be doing this when he landed in a room.

There was a wall of fire ahead of him, and between him and it a table with seven bottles of potions on it; all the bottles were dark glass so the colours could not be seen and there was a poem in Severus' spiky but crabbed hand.

"Before you here upon the table

Lies your clue: if you are able.

Seven Bottles, two of use

Two nettle tea, innocuous

But three are poison, so beware

And let me tell you what is there.

Of the poison, bottles two

Lie to the left of the nettle brew

One in from each end will never harm

And at one end the homeward charm

Of the remaining, one will kill

The other take you further still

But poison finds its brother beside

The last one left to the trophy abide."

"I hate riddles" said David aloud. "Right; one from each end is nettle tea." He moved them forward "And to the left of each poison" he moved those back "The third poison is next to another so that has to be the one in the precise centre because the other poison is on the end. The homeward charm is at one end – the far right, obviously; so third from the left takes me through the curtain of fire." So saying he swallowed that one and walked fearlessly through the curtain. He was in another room with the trophy. He picked it up, feeling faintly anticlimactic; and drained the second potion.

It was a liquid portkey judging by the unpleasant sensation; how like Severus to be so swanky!

And he was standing in front of the judges with the whole school cheering him.

"A MANTICORE?" he said in disgust.

Severus shrugged.

"It had turned up in the forbidden forest; I managed to drug it with sleep potion in meat. I thought you were probably resourceful enough to find a way of dealing with it; so I left it to you."

"I think I'm going to murder you a little bit Professor Snape" said David.

Severus grinned.

"Wait until you take your NEWTs; you won't get a better potions master" he said.

"David, Congratulations!" boomed Mr Murphy "Sure, and wasn't me heart in me mouth over that manticore, and it's glad I am that ye'r so cliver, so it is!"

"What about the other two?" asked David.

"We've sent in Marshals to tell them it's over" said Dumbledore "Jolly sportsmanlike of you David to warn Karl that it was a boggart he was facing; of course he's been out of his mind with worry about his sister."

David thought, more about what THEY would do if they caught her; but he said nothing on that subject.

"What else could I do?" he said simply.

"The mark of a true gentleman and champion – what else could you do indeed!" said Dumbledore warmly.

Karl and Alain were now coming forward, Alain rueful but resigned, Karl with a quiet elation.

Willow brought forward little Uschi.

"Your sister, Karl; kept safe as promised" she said.

"You at Hogwarts have treated me well" said Karl. He bowed to Dumbledore "I apologise that I conspired with some of your pupils in order that you should not know what had become of my sister in truth" he said "I did not wish you placed in an uncomfortable spot. David, thank you for arranging this."

"It was my pleasure, Karl" said David "I am sure Professor Dumbledore will permit you to sit your NEWTs here if you plan to stay."

"I do indeed plan to stay" said Karl "Because my sister was a hostage for my staying in Germany where foul and dark forces are at work. The evil that they do is as great as that of your own Voldemort. I wish to learn from those who killed Voldemort and take the fight to Odessa and show up the teaching methods of Durmstrang for the evil they really are. I say to the wizarding wireless whom I see, take my words and spread them, let the people of Britain know that there is a threat overseas that would like to oppress them. Let them have vigilance!"

"I would add my words to Karl's" said David to the wireless men "He speaks nothing but truth. I have seen such things. I have seen how duellists of Durmstrang are taught the forbidden curses and are permitted to use them, especially on a mudblood like me; I am muggle born and proud of what I have achieved. My blood – mud or otherwise – spilled for Harry Potter. I wear the zigzag scar with pride. And I will always fight evil and injustice and seek to bring down any that would impose it. Listen to Draco Malfoy's new character General Disorder; he will show you the nature of these Odessa scum. And I shall be proud to play the dim Private Paartz, even as I was Tuurd the troll. Be afraid of these Odessa creeps; but not too much. We licked Voldemort before, and Professor Dumbledore brought down THEIR leader Grindelwald. They are like boggarts; once you have learned not to fear, they are nothing but small, pathetic creatures that flee from an implacable foe."

"Mr Fraser, you told the boggart to go away" said Murphy "What did you see, may we ask?"

"A wee black mannie no higher than my knee; their natural form" said David. "What else is there to see?"

There were gasps.

Murphy looked on David with respect.

"You are rather an impressive young man" he said.

"No sir; I'm just one of Dumbledore's army against evil" said David. "One of Harry Potter's cohorts. We are here to hit the ground running when he calls. Soon Karl will learn how to do that too. Evil can only ever triumph when good men do nothing. While there are those of us to fight, with the will to fight, they can never win."

There was a profound silence.

This was a departure from just celebrating the winning of the Triwizard trophy.

"THREE CHEERS FOR DAVID FRASER!" cried Lionel Dell's voice. There were three sky-raising cheers and someone started to sing 'for he's a jolly good fellow' while David blushed furiously.

Hagrid sang with the rest but had a certain air of sadness about him that confirmed the origins of the errant manticore.

At least he would accept its end this way more easily than having the ministry put it down.

If they had any idea how to do so.

"Mr Fraser" said Severus sternly "Have you any idea how to put the dolmen back?"

"Professor Snape" said David, formally "I'm afraid I never thought THAT far ahead."

"TYPICAL Gryffindor" said Severus.

He was hiding the grin inside; but David could feel it.

Harry Potter came forward, with Cedric Diggory as previous joint champions to shake David by the hand; and Harry too said a word or two about the needs for constant vigilance against Odessa.

Everyone who knew Alastor Moody chuckled.

It was true enough however!

The party went on into the night and the German agents who had been watching Karl and looking as a secondary target for Uschi were rather disappointed. Each of the runaways was taken by the hand by a smiling house elf who apparated away with them.

Blood ritual searches with Karl's blood had failed before; there was no reason to think they would succeed this time. They would have to write off this defection for the time being. The damage had been done already by the British free wireless, reporting gleefully every detail of Karl's defection speech. He would have to be killed one day of course, as an example; they would bide their time.

These particular agents had no time to bide.

Severus had legilimensed every visiting foreigner and any British visitor he did not know the allegiance of; and pointed out five German and one French Odessa agents.

Grim faced blood group members assembled; Harry, Severus, Sirius, Krait, Erich and David.

"One each" said Severus.

"I hate killing" said Harry "We have no choice?"

"Kill to save innocents" said Severus, harshly. "No-one said you have to use your wand, your naked mind. You had a sword you left lying around after the last little do as I recall."

Harry gave a rather rueful grin and went to get Gryffindor's sword. It knew him well enough now to come under a summoning charm.

David used a silenced luger as did Erich; Sirius stabbed his. Severus cut the throat of his and Krait became her namesake and bit hers with swift deadly venom.

The bodies they took to the Forbidden Forest to be heavily disguised as Thestral shit as Krait said with black humour.

And then the desperate blood call came.

Narcissa was protesting faintly – and futilely – about manners as the entire Blood group appeared in Malfoy Manor, invading Draco's suite at his cry for aid for Grace; even heavily pregnant Ginny Potter was there, a month or more behind Grace, who had fallen pregnant straight away.

The heartbeats were synchronised; and Krait was running hands over Grace's belly, feeling what was going on, reaching for a mind within. Severus stood by with blood replenishing potions and a vial of unicorn blood – Krait had made sure to donate this in plenty of time – and holding Draco's hand as though he was a little boy.

"At least we got rid of the problem first" said Harry grimly, thinking about leaving Hogwarts with German agents about and no bloodgroup members. "Ginny, love, are you all right?"

"No; I'm going into labour in sympathy" said Ginny "But yes, because I don't think I'm having any problems."

Krait was busy using charms to manipulate the baby and loosen the cervix.

"Ready with those potions, and everyone ready with their support" she said.

And then the bloodgroup knew pain; took it, divided it, dissipated it to keep Grace from being weakened by it; and Severus was pouring blood replenishing potions into his adopted daughter as the blood poured from ruptures made by the problems with her placenta, and Krait was using charms to hurry the baby out, hurry the placenta out so she could cast healing spells and stop the terrible flow of blood as the bloodgroup fed her power to do it. And it was over for Grace; and she held in her tired arms the tiny red thing with a tuft of white blonde hair.

"We decided to call him Edward after the Bloody Baron" said Draco "Rather appropriate the way he looks right now; though I'm not sure he doesn't look more like a skinned rabbit."

He was grinning a ridiculous grin of pride though and hardly noticed Grace poking him for that!

Then they were supporting Ginny; shielding Grace.

Small Molly Potter was born early, angry, and none the worse for the experience.

It was all over; and the blood group went to sleep, any old how, any old where.

David wondered if Albus had missed them.

It really didn't matter.

Albus was equal to covering for them.

They had to get back before too long though; there were OWLS to be taken for some of the group.

Back at school, Dumbledore got rid of the visitors; the French contingent worried about their missing member, the Germans generally relieved over theirs and not wanting to know why they had vanished and thinking it better not to mention this to the Britishers in case the agents did not want attention drawn to themselves and had gone voluntarily into hiding to seek the errant boy and his sister.

Dell noticed the lack of Blood group; and having heard of Erich's concerns – Lionel generally managed to hear things not intended for his ears – made the assumption they were with Grace.

"And we wish her the best of luck" he said soberly. "I think it's time we explained all this to Heather; eleven is not a bad number, arithmantically."

"We havenae got the dolmen; David borrowed the top of it" said Alice

"It's the location, not how many pebbles there are" said Lionel firmly.

Heather was delighted to be invited in to the Tuthill-Dell bloodgroup; she had no preconceived ideas to worry her or to associate it with dark magic.

And besides, as Lionel said, it was their duty to be as strong as possible in case Grace died and the school did not have its main bloodgroup.

And being Lionel he meant every word of his call to duty.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

It was a year for babies, especially in the Malfoy family.

Charlotte had presented Lucius with twin daughters a month before Edward's dramatic arrival, the joy of the event rather swallowed in worry over Grace; but Honor and Hope were made much of by their older siblings and Bella; and would doubtless, by the time they got to Hogwarts be insisting that poor Edward called them both auntie, as Draco laughingly said. Narcissa too was pregnant for the second time since her own relationship with Lucius was rekindled, and due a little after Wendy Malfoy who was expecting another pair of twins to join Avice and Alienora in her nursery, almost as if Hawke and Abraxus had started something, she laughed. Dione Parnassus, expecting also in August, might also be loosely described as a Malfoy. The other crop of friends for the excess Malfoy children to start Hogwarts with in a decade were Ellie's unexpected triplet siblings, born the day before she started her OWL exams; to her delight and relief! Harry, Ronald and Ishbel – Chelsea Devlin baulked at landing a child with a name like Hermione and so picked the Scots variant of Isabel that she had found in a novel – were all healthy and happy and Chelsea and Grutch were as proud as punch, especially when Ellie had checked that their names appeared in the Hogwarts book as of right.

Cho Diggory was also expecting some time that summer, as Cedric had been proudly boasting at the Triwizards final, and nobody chided Draco too much for murmuring

"Poor little sod" concerning the said child.

Emma Lestrange–Symond (as was) had meanwhile left Crassus Prince and was sueing for divorce; and Severus had been able to apply for custody of the child Tarquin – whom she had also abandoned – on grounds of Crassus Prince's already poor record, his own relationship to the child and the relationship through his adopted son Romulus to the child's mother.

Tarquin, rising four, was between Lilith and Richard in age; he was a quiet introverted child with a habit of cowering that told its own story. And since Lucius had been keeping a closer eye on his sister he removed her youngest daughter from her since Ludmilla was still crying for Sephara. Lucius had spoken to Sephara before taking this drastic step; and with the self confidence she had learned, she was happy to be a big sister for Ludmilla if Severus and Krait would have the child as their ward under the main care of Hilary Arbuckle and Mimette, who adored having children to care for. Krait spoke seriously with Sephara about not letting Ludmilla have her way, because of it being bad for her; and Sephara had learned enough to have the strength to deny her little sister and to walk away from her when she threw a tantrum. Sephara was not taking her OWLs this year, but was to repeat a year to make up for the time she had lost so she had a little more time than her class mates to indulge her sister with time: even so she was working hard enough that the time was still precious and withholding it for Ludmilla's behaviour was a real punishment.

Tempers and tensions were high for the exams; at least amongst many. Bethan Price, the part leshy, was nosily asking others how much revision they were doing and got tearfully upset when Abraxus said "None whatsoever" and had to be calmed down by Sephara, who could have done without a hysterical friend. This was not helped by Myrtle saying,

"Well he don't need to, he put in the work during the last two years."

Considering the reputation – not entirely deserved – of the marauders for mucking about this sent Bethan into hysterics and Sephara had to dose her with glumbumble juice in careful enough quantities to deal with the hysteria without making her depressed.

The Marauders did in fact hold to the tenet that if you hadn't learned stuff during the course, cramming before the exam was hardly going to help; and stuck, with Ellie and Myrtle, to a regime of revision that really was just that; reading through notes to remind themselves of things. Consequently they had time to help Elisa Mourne, Dione Parnassus and Francis Davenport to revise as well; which aid did them no disservice either in their own revision. They made up little rhymes and wrote down for the edification of their classmates along the lines of:

"A cheering charm

should do no harm

and to the spirit bring only balm"

"Which means" said Abraxus "You can't count the tickling charm because some people don't like being tickled – like David's pogrebin for example, and people who've had it used to make them laugh so they appear happy to outsiders when they're really being badly treated – yeah, I know a case similar – and you can't either count medical charms 'cos they pep up the body not the spirit. And you can't either count jinxing other people like Derwent even if it cheers YOU up 'cos it does harm to somebody. Still, I need cheering, so I'm going to do it anyhow" he added, hoisting Derwent in the air by his ankle.

"HEY! I never done nothing!" said Derwent, injured.

"You exist" said Abraxus, letting him down relatively gently "And just reminding you I exist before you try sabotaging other people for the OWLs; I know you Derwent. Hang on…." And he treated Stroulger the same way. "And YOU promise me not to play your usual tricks of putting people off or I'll leave you there AND do an Erich to your clothes. Pale lavender, I think – it SO will do nothing to your complexion – with silver lacing and a nice tight corset."

"I promise, Malfoy, honest, put me down please!" said Stroulger hastily.

"Good man" said Abraxus, letting him down, and even rotating him the right way up. "What?" he said looking at Hawke's raised eyebrow "He's a Gryffindor; so I give him more courtesy than you Slythers."

"I don't give Derwent any courtesies even though we are both Slytherin" said Hawke.

"Well, yeah; but then he's Derwent" said Abraxus.

"You have a point" said Hawke. "'K, Dione, let's go over those switching spells again; 'from left to right and concentrate, then you will have the proper state'."

Madam McGonagall demanded a copy of the rhymes as soon as she found out the authors and uses.

"Och, It's absolutely brilliant" she said in the staffroom "It's awfu' cleverly done, simplified but wi' a' the basics there. I've a mind tae ask one o' the publishing houses tae print them oot in wee pamphlets tae hand out in future years."

"Pity there's no OWL for ingenuity" said Sirius "The New Marauders would get an 'O' grade in it."

"If they were in one house I'd be able to give enough points for such generosity of spirit to win the House Shield" put in Dumbledore "I'll credit the two houses at tea though for their efforts; thank you Minerva for bringing it to my attention."

"I don't know if it's relevant" said Severus "But could you maybe make a special award to those kids for all their work for inter-house co-operation and general do-gooding? They took care of Uschi Heinz and protected your good name and they stamp on bullying where they see it, even if it's not always conventionally done. They care about the school as a whole, not just about having a good time."

"Yeah; they make us original Marauders look rather childish prats" said Sirius ruefully "And even so they still manage to have a good time – there's nothing priggish about them even though they do act for the general good of the school!"

Dumbledore nodded.

"I will certainly think about that" he said.

Dione, thanks to the help she was receiving, actually hoped to pass all or at least most of the eight OWLs she was taking; and maybe even get good marks on some. Krait had given her some remedial potions time, including an introduction to chemistry as it had helped Lionel Dell. There was every chance Lionel might do well; and every chance now that Dione might even pass.

"You and Professor Snape have been so kind" said Dione.

"If you'd only come to one of us earlier, you silly brat, we could have had all this sorted out long since" said Krait. "I knew you were unhappy; I didn't know why, I hoped sewing in a calm atmosphere might get you talking. I'm sorry it didn't work; Elisa broke through all her own resentments early, I suppose being jealous of her finding something to be happy about made it worse for you. Was I wrong not to just use legilimensy on you?"

"I – I don't know, Madam Malfoy; I – I think I would have resented it, and you, as yet another way people were just controlling and using me. And I guess then I might not have wanted….."

"Wanted to be nice?" said Krait. Dione nodded.

Krait put an arm around her.

"Most people who are naughty are making some kind of a plea for help; sometimes it's difficult for them to put into words so they act up to draw attention to their unhappiness" she explained "Some people are naughty just to let off steam because they feel a bit trammelled; but that's usually more mischief than naughtiness. Sometimes the mischief can turn – unintentionally – to bullying when jokes get out of hand. And some people are naughty – I'm thinking mostly real bullies here – because they know no other way. If you have seen nothing but violence all your life, you will grow up violent. If you have seen nothing but blood snobbery, you will grow up a bloodsnob like the older families often are. If you grow up repressed but know that you have or ought to have rights, you will tend to be lippy; like a lot of goblins. Most kids, you know, would be just fine, if only their parents had to pass an OWL in parenting before they were let loose producing and spoiling innocent children."

"Teach me to be a good mother, please?"

"I don't even know if I know, Dione! I try; and I think that's the best you can do. Once you have children, those children come before anything else. I hope we haven't caused any harm to our younger ones by putting the fight against Voldemort first; in a way it was for our children, everyone's children, in the long run but if Lilith resents it I hope she will feel able to tell us…she seems happy enough, especially with Tarquin to teach how to be happy as well as two brothers to gently bully but you never know what a small child picks up. And your baby can hear, in the womb; and that includes picking up on tones of voice in quarrels. It was for her sake as well as yours we wanted your father to be judicious in building a relationship with you, so there would be no quarrels."

"I see; it's an awful responsibility, isn't it?"

"And once you understand, and accept that, you're more than halfway to being a good parent" said Krait.

The new Marauders were for the main taking ten OWLs, though Myrtle was sticking to nine and Willow and Kinat were both taking eleven. None of them expected to get good marks in Muggle Studies, since they actually knew far more about muggles than their teacher or any likely examiners and therefore did not answer the questions according to the accepted views but according to the truth; and Severus was fighting to have this changed. He postulated the idea of having an actual muggle to teach muggle studies, even as most muggle schools tried to get someone French to teach that language; since Charity Burbage really was old enough to be retired off and would be an excellent addition as a ministry advisor in muggle affairs since she was at least sympathetic to muggle causes. Nobody expected Kinat to get a good grade with History of Magic for the same reason, as his views of the Goblin wars were equally partisan to those put forward in the history books, but diametrically opposed. Kinat was taking the subject by way of peaceful protest, however, rather than in the expectation of even passing, since he felt the examiners should have other viewpoints run past them. Professor Lector was supportive in this view merely warning Kinat to be careful not to be too obviously frothing that would merely leave his work ignored instead of starting trains of thought.

"You can fail for not putting the conventional answers but still win in a way by not putting the conventional answers in a way that makes people think" he said. "Do NOT get carried away by thoughts of unfairness; write it as objectively as you can. Even if you fail, I'll talk to you about taking it to NEWT if you like."

Kinat thought about it.

"Thank you sir; but I think it would just be too soul destroying. I'm a pioneer, I'm making my point: maybe one of my siblings can go on to NEWT in an atmosphere where extra research is actually listened to. My mission is to put ideas into heads, not to then build on those ideas too soon."

'Hannibal' nodded.

"You may be right at that" he said.

None of the group were especially interested in the Care of Magical Beasts, though they got on well enough with Hagrid; so that was never going to be a top mark either; and as Comparitive Magic was such a new study, it was probable that the examiners would hold the marks down until it was better established how well it was possible to do; as had occurred with Geomancy the year before.

"It'd be nice to get half our OWLs at 'O' grade but it ain't going to happen" Hawke spoke for them all "If we hope for mostly 'E' we'll be doing well. We mustn't get disheartened by those high flyers like David Fraser and Hermione Granger-Weasley. And certainly not by geniuses like Krait. It's not reasonable. Especially as we have chosen to have fun as well."

"I'll be very happy to get any 'O' grades at all" said Myrtle "I never was tipped to when I was first at school; so associating with you lot has improved my grades no end."

They were all fairly confident of gaining an 'O' grade in DADA. The whole group had already an 'E' grade awarded for their work against Voldemort; but anticipated doing much better.

After all, in the practical they were asked if they could produce a corporeal patronus – which they considered child's play by now – and the questions had been, in their view, quite childishly simple. The long question had been to list, and briefly describe, those humanoids who might be described as dark creatures and the features thereof. Most people would do well on that question; in addition to werewolves, vampires, hags and redcaps there were the fey, that all the class had seen in rather closer detail than perhaps some might have liked! True, the unseelie court were hard to describe, though Hawke was pleased by the phrase he used 'typified by their mutability of specific form and generalised only by a certain lack of true substance in all the true, that is not halfbred, fey'.

When he revealed this phrase to the others they all thoughtfully jinxed him for being a smart arse.

Myrtle considered that she had an absolute gift in the Charms written exam, since there was a question worth a high number of marks on water-affecting charms.

Nobody understood watery magic like Myrtle.

The Potions exam was quite stiff; the practical involved brewing the Draught of Peace.

"I haven't got an 'O' in that" groaned Kinat "It always was debateable; I hover just around the cutoff in class and I so have trouble with the Draught of Peace at the best of times."

"And yet you're so good at arithmancy, I'd have thought all that precision would be meat and drink to you" said Abraxus.

"Well it isn't" said Kinat "I managed to overdo the ingredients again and produced a potion more likely to send people to sleep for seven years than to enable them to feel calm. At least I realised in time what I was doing – when I had dark pewter vapour instead of silver – and scrawled down my mistake on the accompanying notes. They credit that some, anyway, so I may scrape an 'E' if my written is good enough."

Ellie and Myrtle grinned at each other.

They hoped to get 'E' grades which they would count as a victory; and had certainly done as well as they ever did with the Draught of Peace, which was to say produced a liquid of approximately the right colour without any ingredients left over.

Poor Dione had managed only a sludge; but as much of the class were in similar state she hoped at least to do better on her theory paper.

Indeed, as though to compensate for the practical, the theory seemed to the majority of the class to be relatively easy, save for drawing and labelling a chomping cabbage from memory; though Myrtle, good at Herbology, felt that was an excellent question for her and hoped to improve her mark thereby. Dione too was fairly good at Herbology and sighed with relief that she might scrape a pass. She had already asked Severus if she might retake if she failed; and he had agreed, under the circumstances.

Abraxus, Romulus, Willow, Kinat and perhaps surprisingly Myrtle enjoyed the Transfigurations exam; Myrtle had picked up the whole concept of summoning and vanishing things very quickly, perhaps because of the awful lesson of the Hufflepuff girls who had tried to reverse the vanishing spell for dirt and had succeeded only in summoning a dirt monster. These five also managed to be showy about turning their box tortoises into jewel boxes, and were hoping to gain extra marks for decorative features such as polished tortoiseshell inlay in rosewood, for Myrtle, a hammered silver chrysanthemum, from Willow, a brass box with cloisonné work of a Chinese style turtle and water lilies from Kinat, a heavy mahogany box with inlay work in different coloured woods from Abraxus and a japanned box with golden dragons on from Hawke. Most other people were content to produce a plain wooden or tortoiseshell box and were glad if it did not wander off or open to chomp on lettuces if offered to the opening; Ellie and Kinat went a little further in putting marquetry patterns on theirs and Dione was just pleased that hers stayed put. Elisa's wandered off which upset her somewhat.

Naturally, they all insisted on returning their tortoises to their natural state and feeding them the lettuce they had not eaten as boxes.

Fortunately the examiners were becoming used to the Hogwarts zeal over avoiding cruelty to animals.

Sometimes this was harder than others; as when Francis Davenport's box bit the examiner instead of the lettuce. Francis did NOT improve his case by pointing out that tortoises were actually omnivorous.

Romulus, Kinat, Myrtle and Willow were the ones doing Arithmancy, with the twins and Ellie taking comparitive magic instead. Myrtle was not of the same grade as the others but she reckoned she had picked up enough watching Krait and Severus design rituals to give her a bit of a start! As Myrtle was the first Hufflepuff to take Arithmancy since before she had first been at school, Madam Vector was delighted. As Myrtle was also at least as good as the three Ravenclaws taking arithmancy, every other scholar in the class worked hard with her to help her outshine them; and Myrtle had every expectation of taking a pass, even if not a high one. She was also taking geomancy; the only one of the blood group who was not was Kinat, who had opted for History of Magic instead. Hawke and Abraxus, Ellie and Kinat were all taking Comparative Magic; and the twins found the exam heavy going. Kinat, despite having to fit his lessons in enjoyed it; perhaps a little too much as he confessed to being sidetracked into a discussion of literal numerology in the application of Finnish naming magic. Ellie thought it was an easy exam, and when she ran through her answers, the twins looked at each other, hit each other on the forehead and cried 'DOH!' with one voice.

They were all but Myrtle taking Ancient Runes – more for the use of them in research into abstruse magic in later life than for the purpose of gaining a qualification – and none of them thought the exam especially hard, though one obscure passage was, according to Romulus a pig; only Abraxus, Willow and Kinat had managed to unravel it with any degree of accuracy, as they found out later looking it up.

The twins, Willow and Kinat were taking enchanting, which involved a long essay on the importance of choosing the right materials to enchant, and how this may vary. Willow wrote knowledgeably about wands, Hawke chose to dissect the choice of Voldemort's horcruces, as an example of personal significance having as much value as materials; and Kinat and Abraxus remained less specific, though Abraxus brought to his essay the point of view of a provider of magical telesmic materials, since that was what his mother did; and Kinat had the point of view of goblin magic and the enchantment of perfect metal.

The practical involved adding an enchantment of their choice to a quill and to ink, and to using their knowledge of enchanted objects to pick from a dozen random wands the one they felt most suitable. Hawke enchanted his ink to only be legible to someone of his own blood – the examiner had to borrow Abraxus to test if it had worked – and his quill write at his command. Abraxus made a pen to correct spelling as it went along – rather more successfully than that of the Weasley twins who had not studied enchantment as seriously as the Malfoy twins – and ink to flash keywords in different colours on command, a tricky charm that he had only just mastered. Kinat made his quill forge Madam McGonagall's handwriting, not perhaps quite what the examiners were looking for, but a clever piece of work nonetheless, and made his ink speak for those who were visually impaired or for reading under the bedclothes. Willow's ink vanished until a codeword was spoken; her quill wrote what a third party was saying at given direction and distance.

They chose wands appropriately, but the examiners were heard to complain that in testing the other wands, all this batch were so good with any wand it was hard to judge them on their choices.

They all agreed that Willow would outshine everyone after everyone had compared notes.

Myrtle, Romulus, Ellie and Willow were taking Herbology; Madam Sprout had declared that Hawke and Kinat each had a brown thumb and refused them her elective on the grounds that things they looked at withered; and Abraxus had been more interested in Comparitive magic anyway.

Dione was also taking Herbology and knew she came close to shining here. She actually tended to outperform Willow, who had squeezed in a class instead of flying practice to help her with potioneering and for no other reason.

The exam was fairly tough; everyone knew the differences between a flitterbloom and devil's snare; but the uses of each to be listed were tougher. Only Myrtle really enjoyed the exam, though Dione thought she had done all right. The practical, collecting bubotuber pus safely, required several people to need the services of Madam Pomfrey afterwards, and Ellie managed to be bitten by Myrtle's fanged geranium. The examiner had to make a note to this effect since Myrtle had no wounds but her geranium was flushed happily with fresh blood; otherwise Myrtle might have lost marks unfairly.

The last exam was the compulsory Care of Magical Animals and they were all glad when it was over, after the vicissitudes of cleaning fire crabs and de-doxifying a room. Willow got kudos here for remembering Severus' spell _Poxydoxytoxin_ and then dropped all the extra marks she had gained by setting fire to the examiner with her fire crab. Her rapidly conjured jet of water meant there was no lasting damage, but it did rather, as she said dolefully, put a hole in her credibility.

"Still, none of us want to follow it up" said Hawke "And it could have been worse; we might have had to feed blast-ended Pekes."

One of the Pekinese dogs Krait had transfigured to hide Hagrid's illegal experiments still occasionally farted fire.

"It could have been much worse" said Abraxus "They could have had us grooming David's manticore."

"Face it" said Romulus "Given half a chance, I bet Hagrid would have thought that a splendid idea."

"Only Hagrid could manage to be affectionate towards a rabidly dangerous homicidal critter like that" said Willow "Hagrid's great but sometimes he ain't so tightly wrapped."

"And you'd know of course, recognising the state" said Kinat, lazily.

Willow threw books at him; as one of them was the Monster Book of Monsters that broke open on the way, Kinat had his hands too full for a minute to come up with any more too clever comments; which had been, as Willow said, the general idea.

The exams were over; the Triwizard was over; and Dione might quietly drop out of the last few days of school to avoid anyone noticing her now visible pregnancy now that her class were not too preoccupied by their own troubles. Severus and Krait would foster her child and she would have birthed by the beginning of the new school year that would be a new start in more ways than one. Professor Dumbledore had decreed that as there were so many children under wardship, that Hogwarts would have its own orphanage wing, to be run by Hilary Arbuckle and such other deserving witches the Malfoy women of the Society for Marginalised and Indigent women could find. Sirius immediately proposed Christie and Margaret from his apartment block; but Dumbledore wanted women who had experienced motherhood. Krait proposed Cynner's mother; but Narcissa and Charlotte pointed out that she had a home with Callum's mum and that they had several widows on their books, one with grown up children, and another who had lost all her children and her husband, when he set light to their home in a drunken orgy of wand use while his wife was at work to feed her children and feckless spouse. Hilary interviewed both – with Krait's support – and liked them.

Severus and Krait were not to withdraw from being involved with the children, and those who were their wards might continue to think of themselves as such, but they would no longer feel that they had to take on unwanted children. The Romanian orphans without magical skill would also come under the orphanage though David wanted to sponsor them, and to have Vasilica, the talented child as his actual ward.

Next term he would be doing some teaching; he had written a syllabus for the introduction to the magical world and would go to Rowan House for one period a week. He would also be taking the children there on a field trip to Diagon Alley just to see an example of wizarding space. It was very exciting! Exciting too was that Fenella Fenwick had shown an interest in the comparison between Arithmancy and Mathematics and had volunteered to teach both when she left school to the Rowan House children, to the horror of her father. Fenella however stood firm in pointing out that muggles with talented relatives deserved an education too. It is probable that her father had no idea that muggles had ANY kind of education at all and almost certainly had a vague idea of them running around unwashed and illiterate, instead of that only being the state of most chavs, as Hawke unkindly said.

The end of term was rounded off by a visit to St Jodoc's for a cricket match; the first eleven remained unchanged, but they fared better this time, with Willow making a century and a half, staunchly backed by Ross Tuthill as her batting partner who made sure to get her back on bat when he was facing the bowler with carefully chosen runs, since Willow was playing as though she was on fire. Ross himself made a respectable thirty seven runs, half of them between Willow's excellent efforts; and though it was a tough battle, Hogwarts won by a run and one wicket.

The upper sixth players, the Strellands and Ian Kell, left vowing to get cricket leagues going in their own villages.

Lionel Dell had made it into the second eleven – not to play this year but likely to next year – and was hoping with the three oldest ones leaving to get into the first eleven next season! He also pointed out that Hockey resembled hurley closely enough that keeping that up was advantageous in case they had to play the Fey again at games; and David requested that Slytherin be awarded ten points for this piece of wisdom.

The final feast came; and the awarding of various shields. The Quidditch shield had not been contested this year because of the Triwizard, though a number of friendly games had been played; and the shield would have been won, had it been fair to offer it, by Slytherin House as Professor Dumbledore announced.

Romulus Snape as quidditch captain was well thumped on the back by friends and class mates and other players; and so was Jade, whose performance as seeker had been partly instrumental in the string of victories the house had amassed. Romulus, Ed Dinalt and Lionel Dell made a fairly formidable team of chasers and Hawke young Kate Rosier were very efficient Beaters. Romulus had excluded Baddock and Pritchard from the team as Beaters on grounds that they played to cause pain rather than to help the house win points – which was true – and moved Hawke to Beater, bringing in Lionel as a chaser and Kate as beater as well as using Jade as seeker. Slytherin had suffered from the loss of Draco Malfoy and nobody had quite managed to pull it off as well though Ed had done his best last year.

"The name of Slytherin House is to be put on a new, informal shield that will be used during those years when the Triwizard contest is played or any other matter keeps us from formal contest" the Head announced "And as this is at the request of David Fraser, who wanted to see that Quidditch is not neglected during such times, I propose to call it the David Fraser Shield, in recognition of this, of his Triwizard win and of something many of you may not know, that David qualified as a national level referee over the Easter break" he paused for a spontaneous cheer to break out "And I'm sure we all know how much David regretted giving up his own Quidditch playing for the Triwizard; which he only entered, incidentally, because he was asked to by Madam Spikenard who had a premonition he would be needed. David has rescued Romanian Orphans, helped protect little Uschi Heinz so her brother could defect, got rid of a manticore and in addition to that has managed to win the Triwizard; and I have to, for all his achievements, award two hundred points to Gryffindor. Which I believe leaves the House Shield well and truly in the possession of Gryffindor."

The Gryffindors cheered; and the Slytherin and Hufflepuff too clapped in congratulation. David HAD distinguished himself rather after all; and one could hardly honour the Triwizard winner without honouring the house. It was noticeable that only Mei Chang and her gang gave wholehearted cheers on the Ravenclaw table who otherwise confined themselves to a minimal polite clapping.

Dumbledore raised a hand for silence.

"The last few years have seen an increase in inter-house co-operation; fighting Voldemort concentrated the mind wonderfully and I have to say how pleased I am that this spirit is continuing. One of the members of staff suggested the presentation of a further trophy to a group or individual who did more than most in promoting inter-house co-operation and in helping out their fellow pupils; and I have to say that I liked the idea. As the staff member involved wishes to remain anonymous, but was backed by a certain other members of staff I intend to name this after a club in which they were involved during THEIR time at school – and so I have here the Marauders shield. The Marauders included James Potter who gave his life to fight Voldemort; and those members who had quarrels with other youths, subsequently members of staff, have spectacularly made up their differences over the fight against evil, and so I consider this a most appropriate name; and I have inscribed on it as first winners – for members of staff should be credited too – the nicknames Scales, Padfoot, Moonie, Prongs and Whiskers."

"Whiskers isn't a member of staff" muttered Willow "And Prongs is dead."

"But Peter is indicative of forgiveness" said Hawke "And I think Scales borrowed the resurrection stone from Krait in the hols to talk to Prongs…."

Dumbledore just motioned silence to them.

"The choice of winner was debated fiercely" he said "There was a case put forward for both Gryffindor and Hufflepuff house to hold it for the welcoming of new older people amidst their ranks, and in the case of Gryffindor for David Fraser's untiring help of everyone: but that of course is what a head boy should be for. And I think one almost has to be ashamed of those people who do NOT help new older children to find their feet. Besides, this is not a House shield but for work across houses. I have to say, I also looked closely at Lionel Dell and his three-house wide gang of reprobates who have helped each other and been prepared to put themselves out and even at risk for the safely of others; and may I say they only came a very close second. The winners are the New Marauders, Hawke and Abraxus Malfoy, Romulus Snape, Kinat Gan Konal, and Willow Prince. These young people have done much to keep the peace in the lower school of course; and such is the duty of prefects of course as there are among them; they were also instrumental in the extraction and care of Uschi Heinz in such a way as the staff were unable to be blamed by the German authorities, they have always kept the honour of the school in the forefront of their minds and have even, so my spies tell me, gone out of their way to help disadvantaged children during the holidays. But the main reason I am giving this shield to them this year is for their ingenious revision notes in rhyme which they made freely available amongst all the OWL candidates, even though I believe some were not prepared to take them up on this" – there were scowls at the Ravenclaw table – "And in fact on Madam McGonagall's suggestion the school is having them printed as a pamphlet as official revision aids for subsequent years. As well as these notes they worked through revision with students in house and out to make sure they felt as ready as possible for their exams. And so, I give you – The New Marauders!"

The new marauders came to receive their shield and everyone looked at Hawke to make a speech.

"Well, Professor Dumbledore had made us sound a right little bunch of Gooders I must say!" said Hawke "And I guess we are always willing to help people out but we're no prigs, and if anyone makes an issue of it I have it on good authority that a combination of the jelly-leg jinx and the furnunculus curse leaves you with tentacles all over the face that require a visit to St Mungo's, so don't go thinking we're nice, ok?"

There was much laughter!

"What's more we haven't got exams next year to take up our marauding time!" added Kinat.

"Headmaster, will you accept my resignation now?" said Severus with a hollow groan "I'm not sure I can survive that!"

"I'm sorry Severus; I need you too much to permit that" said Dumbledore, twinkling. "And here's to the next school year when it arrives and continued co-operation!"

The cheer almost lifted the roof!

**The End**

_The next book is 'A few Furry little Problems' and will go up in a couple of weeks. _


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